Split Destiny
by Lightning Lord Kaji
Summary: Children of dragons are all but Immortal. Two of them must decide where their true loyalties are though. Will they side with the darkness that raised them or the light they were stolen from? And in the end will there really be a right and a wrong choice? Or is it all in the eye of the beholder? (Cover done by Consort)
1. Prologue

I don't own Fire Emblem

 **Here's a prologue for another new story. I really need to stop making stories while I'm in the middle of doing other ones. Anyway so this is a little teaser and a prologue to the story. I feel like I need a break from my other stories so that's how this one was conceived.**

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Prologue

"Corrin! Kamui!" the twins looked side to side as the two armies of Hoshido and Nohr met on the field. Both armies stopped as the leaders of the armies came forth to meet the two in the middle. The twins grabbed each other's hands as they stared at their two families, the ones that raised them and their true family.

"This way! Quick!" Ryoma shouted as he drew his sword and held his hand out to them. Three other people ran up behind him as well, Hinoka, Sakura and Takumi.

"Brother…Sister!" Sakura shouted as she clutched her staff to her chest. Kamui and Corrin tightened their holds on each other as they clasped their hands together.

"They're our brother and sister!" another voice shouted, Else. The twins turned to the Noir army to see their siblings from that kingdom run up to them.

"We're your family!" Xander shouted as he drew his sword and held his hand out to them, pleadingly. Camilla, Leo and Elise came to a stop just behind the Paladin. All three of them had relief on their faces when they saw them.

"There you two are! Stand back, Big Sister is here to put the bad Hoshidians in their place! I'll show them to try and steal my family from me!" Camilla exclaimed as she hefted her axe.

"You will not touch them! Not while I draw breath! You will not have them again!" Hinoka shouted as she hefted her spear but Ryoma held her back. Kamui and Corrin looked at each other before they turned to look at their families.

"What do we do?" Corrin thought as she looked towards Noir, her hold on her brother tightened as her twin looked just as lost as her.

"We have to choose?" Kamui thought as he tightened his grip on Corrin's hand. But before anything could happen everything went white.


	2. Beginning

I don't own Fire Emblem or the characters and some of the techniques

 **Alright everyone so I am going to try and juggle this and my other story together. Let's hope I don't feel burned out for both of them. Anyway so I will work on this as much as I can. I already have an idea for who I want Kamui to be with, at least one for sure. I'm still debating if I think he should get two or not but that will come in a bit. I am not sure who I should put Corrin with though. Let me know what you guys think. Should I make Kamui have multiple lovers (highest I'm going is three but I would prefer to go with just two) and who should I put Corrin with?**

Chapter 1: Beginning

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 **Corrin's POV**

"Ah!" Corrin jumped awake as she felt something freezing cold touch her cheek. She sat up quickly to see just her three servants standing around her bed. She calmed down when she realized it was just them.

"Apologies, Lady Corrin. We could not find another way to wake you. Lord Xander said breakfast is ready," Felica said apologetically, the pink-haired maid was flushed in embarrassment too. Corrin sighed as she moved some of her hair out of her red eyes and turned to the other side to see the blue-haired Flora with her hands behind her back guiltily. She didn't have to see that look to know it was her though.

"Yes, we have your armor ready for you already," Jakob cut in and Corrin sighed tiredly and sat up from the bed and smoothed out her nightwear. She looked across the luxurious room to see the other bed was empty and set like it wasn't touched. Then she looked over at the armor stands to see one of them was empty.

"Is Kamui already outside?" Corrin asked, though she knew the answer to that. Her twin brother was always the early riser out of them. He tended to dislike sleep a bit and only used what he thought was needed.

"Yes, he already went down for breakfast, he's waiting for you actually. He said he wouldn't start without you," Felica said as she came over to her with her mesh that she wore under her armor.

"I'll go inform them that you are getting ready," Jakob said as he quickly exited the room. Corrin sighed again as she smoothed out her pale hair as Flora and Felica helped her get dressed up in her mesh and armor. She could do it herself but it was nice to have help.

"You're so lucky that you are blessed with being the daughter of dragons, Lady Corrin," Flora said as she helped her adjust her armor so that her hair didn't get caught on anything.

"Why's that?" Corrin asked as she stamped her feet to make sure nothing was wrong with her armor over her legs.

"Your beauty will be preserved for eternity like all children of dragons, free of the hold of time, literally," Flora replied cheerfully and Corrin blushed scarlet. She looked over at the mirror as she fixed herself up fully. Sure she was pretty with her long snow-white hair, red eyes and flawless skin. Her pale complexion also made her look in Jakob's words "exotic". But she was nowhere near as pretty as Camilla, she was a far more beautiful than she was and far more exotic. Corrin she knew that Elise would grow to be prettier than her too when she was old enough, exotic looks or not.

"Nonsense, Camilla is far more beautiful than I am," Corrin chided as she batted their hands away, embarrassed. Her two maids giggled as they stepped away from her.

"Your brother said something similar when we commented on his looks, you two really are twins," Felica said, happily and Corrin flushed again.

"I need to go! I don't want Xander to storm up here again! See you guys later!" Corrin rushed as she quickly ran out the door only to literally bounce off of someone and land on the ground.

"Ow…" Corrin grumbled as she shook her hair. She looked up only to see the amused face of her brother, Leo. The blonde boy was already dressed up fully in his dark knight armor with his trusty tome at his side.

"Perhaps you should open your door more slowly next time so that you don't rush in without looking to see if someone is in the hallway. Kamui never runs into anyone like that, I don't recall him ever doing that actually," Leo said matter of fact in his little smug attitude. Corrin huffed as she stood up to around Leo's height and reached forward to flick his head, making him flinch and grumble slightly.

"You really need to learn some manners. I thought that you would have learned that from all your studies? Use that brain for more than just memorizing things," Corrin said slyly as she wrapped her arm around his and took him down the hall to the dining hall. It was always Leo or her twin that came to get her if she was running late. Both because they knew Xander would drag her straight to training without breakfast if they didn't come get her. She preferred it when Leo came to get her though since she liked talking to him. Despite what she said, she really did like that he was very smart. He had a way of making everything easy to understand.

"Well it's also good manners to look where you're going first so you don't run into someone," Leo replied but he didn't wrench his arm away from her.

"Xander was close to rushing off to get you and Kamui is busy entertaining Elise so I decided to come get you. We don't want you going two days in a row without breakfast before training," Leo said softly and Corrin smiled and hugged his arm as they walked to the dinning hall.

"Thanks Little Brother…by the way, your collar is inside out…" Corrin said gratefully/playfully and Leo sputtered as he pulled his arm out of her grasp when they came to the doors of the dining hall. He hurriedly pulled his collar off and fixed it before he glared at her. Corrin giggled at her brother's antics, he was a big teddy bear; he just didn't like showing it. Leo stormed ahead of her to the doors of the dinning hall and opened them up, letting Corrin hear the small chatter and laughs from inside.

"I found the sleepyhead," Leo announced as he stepped inside and Corrin huffed as she followed him inside. There was one large table with an abundance of chairs around it, more than there were people who ever actually ate at the table.

Corrin smiled when she saw her twin sitting with their little sister, Elise at one side of the table. Her twin, Kamui had the same features as her, somewhat think, white hair, red eyes and a pale complexion, except he was a boy. His armor was even the same silver and black as Corrin's except his was in better condition and didn't look as beaten up as her own. He was a lot better in the physical department of training than she was.

Elise was a cute little girl with blonde hair in two twirled tails and a black dress. She was super cute and she liked to cling to Kamui and Corrin a lot, which was what she was doing to the former currently. She let go of Kamui's arm and waved at her excitedly and Corrin waved back and shared a look with her twin before she moved over to her older siblings.

"About time, the cooks would have to cook us another meal if we waited any longer," Xander said offhanded but there was no actual spite in his tone. He waved off Jakob who was standing behind him and he bowed before he ran off towards the kitchen. Corrin smiled at her older brother who was sitting opposite from Elise and Kamui, a book and a map were opened up next to his plate and as usual he looked as regal as ever. Blonde hair styled back by his small crown, purple eyes sharp as always and fully dressed for battle but everyone at the table was except for Elise. He gave her a small smile and a nod when she came up to him and she hugged him warmly. He returned it stiffly with one arm before she was yanked over by the person sitting next to him.

"Oh give her a break, Xander. Little Corrin is just enjoying her ability to sleep longer," Camilla cut in and Corrin struggled as she was yanked into a tight hug by her big sister except her face was pulled right into Camilla's chest so she had trouble breathing until she managed to readjust herself in the hug so her face was free.

"Happy to see you too, sis…" Corrin sighed as she let her big sister hug her tight. Camilla was beautiful by all regards and anyone who thought differently was a liar or jealous. She had soft purple hair that framed her face perfectly, gleaming dark purple eyes and a very shapely figure; even dressed for battle she looked like she could be going to a wedding. Corrin would be lying if she said she wasn't a little jealous of Camilla herself. And she was a dragon daughter so it was an even finer gem, at least if one used Jakob's vocabulary.

"If she wants breakfast before training then she should be up with the sun like her twin. Kamui wakes up to get extra training in before breakfast. If Corrin isn't careful, he'll put an even bigger gap between them in swordsmanship," Xander commented though Corrin could hear the amusement in his tone.

"There's more to combat than swinging a sword around, Xander. There are also people who use magic and Corrin has a certain aptitude for it," Leo commented as he settled in his seat next to the eldest of the siblings. Corrin blushed a little at the praise she got from her brother but it was true. Her twin was more gifted with the sword than she was while she held a better hand for magic. It was a recent transition more or less that they started diverting their attentions to different aspects of training.

"Yeah…Kamui can swing his sword around while I get to sit in the back and relax," Corrin joked and then she heard her twin scoff and she looked over to see him smiling at her.

"Yeah? Well maybe I'll be too tired to watch your back or drag you out of the field," Kamui said as he and Elise laughed. Camilla covered her mouth to hide her snicker and Corrin flushed a bit.

"Oh yeah! Since when do I need you to cover me? I can handle myself just fine!" Corrin pouted and Kamui crossed his arms at her and tilted his head to the side in a "really?" gesture.

"Well there was that time when we were twelve and there was that spider that Elise-" Kamui stopped and started laughing as Corrin ran around the table to get at him and started shaking him furiously as she covered his mouth.

"You promised you wouldn't tell!" Corrin screamed. Kamui wrenched her hand away from his mouth but he didn't say anything and just smiled at her. Elise's cute laughter echoed through her ears along with Camilla's soft laughter and Leo's small chuckles. To their credit though, Leo and Camilla were trying to stifle their laugh. Corrin looked towards her eldest brother, who was just sporting a grin.

"It's not like we don't already know. You screamed so loud that Camilla and I thought that an intruder broke into your room…" Xander said, amused. Corrin flushed in embarrassment as her twin and her siblings that were trying to not laugh broke out into full laughter. It was in good nature though so she didn't take it too personally. After all it was rare that Leo actually laughed so readily. She grumbled and sat next to her twin who pulled her by her arm into a small hug.

"I'm just messing with my little sister," Kamui said fondly as he squeezed her against him. Corrin huffed and refused to return the hug even though she appreciated the gesture.

"We're twins, how can you be older?" Corrin pouted as she flicked his head. His ruby eyes narrowed at her slightly and he knocked his forehead against hers, making her yelp.

"I just know…" Kamui said as he adjusted back in his seat. Corrin glared at him though, they'd always had this argument as long as she could remember. It was rather infuriating to be honest.

"I call bullshit…" Corrin grumbled as she punched her twins arm. Then her twin's eyes widened and Corrin's did as well as they both shivered, a certain chill rolling into the room. Elise made an "O" face at Corrin and Corrin slowly shifted her gaze towards the other side of the table. First she saw Leo who was covering his smile with his hand while Xander looked a little uncomfortable. It was Camilla that made Corrin nervous.

"Corrin…" Camilla said sweetly. The eldest sister of the siblings had a big smile on her face but the chilling air she gave off and the dark glint in her eyes said otherwise. She was easily the scariest one in the room at that point. She was just as scary as she was beautiful.

"Y-Yes, Camilla?" Corrin asked shakily.

"Who taught you that phrase?" Camilla asked, sweetly. To be honest, Corrin had known that phrase and much more for a long time. Getting trained by soldiers, veterans and hanging around them for years tended to do that. Especially Gunter…he had a colorful mouth when he was pushed. And her servants were no help either, especially when Jakob and Flora argued. Except Camilla had apparently made it her mission to make sure that Corrin, Kamui and Elise never got "corrupted" vocabularies. She wanted to know why Leo got a free pass but she never really had time to ask.

"Um…well…I…" Corrin floundered as she tried to come up with an answer that wouldn't get one of her trainers or servants fired or worse. She'd seen Camilla break down quite a few people that Corrin would have thought unbreakable.

"Food's ready!" Jakob announced as he came through the kitchen doors, followed by their cooks with a dozen or so entries. Camilla lost her dark glint though thankfully and she let out a sigh of relief as she slumped in her chair. Her twin did something similar but he didn't fall back in his chair. He gave her a small look and she shrugged embarrassed. Now they just had to make sure Camilla didn't remember what she was doing and that they could get through training without incident.

 **Later**

Corrin cried out when she failed to sufficiently block one of Camilla's strikes. Her stance was a bit off so when Camilla's sword connected with hers, she was nearly sent onto her back. Their big sister could have ended the match there with another strike but he pulled back and allowed Corrin to catch her footing again. Corrin panted slightly as she wiped some of the sweat from her face and readjusted her stance as she hefted her training sword towards the Malig Knight. She twirled on one of her feet and took a loose stance, pointing her blade behind her, keeping her free hand forward. She was nowhere near as physically strong as her older siblings so she had to make up for it with quick movements and adjustments. It was difficult to find a medium with her natural agility and the Nohrian strength based style but she managed.

They barely had time to finish their first plates of breakfast before Xander quickly rushed them to the training courtyard. Their eldest wanted to make every second count this time; he didn't want them to be too full to train. Camilla elected to train Corrin this time in favor of the fact that she fought with a weapon and magic just as Camilla did. Generally it would have been Leo but Xander said that Corrin needed to face a more skilled opponent to learn the most. So the rest of them just stood there, watching the two sisters spar.

Corrin had trained against her elder siblings multiple times over the years. She always lost one way or another; her twin never won either though he was always getting close. His special talents always sort of nullified the experience and skill of their older siblings as his own developed. Unfortunately Corrin hadn't discovered her special talent just yet to tip the things in her favor. Leo thought that she possessed the talent to learn to harness magic without a tome. Children of dragons had magic in their blood and it was proven that they could learn to call upon it with no aid, dragon veins being the most prominent example. Leo was also a living example of that and Kamui was as well, at least in the area of healing. Corrin had been training for years though and while Leo assured her that he saw the signs, she wasn't so sure. Her swordsmanship was good but it wasn't on the level of her twin and while she had a handle on all offensive magic, her hybrid style wasn't enough to outdo Camilla's and she couldn't carry all tomes into battle. Even though she had the advantage against her sister because of her sword, Camilla's sheer experience and skill made that advantage null.

"I'm going to turn the fight up, ok dear?" Camilla asked as she pulled a simple fire tomb from her pack. Corrin tensed and she rushed at her older sister but Camilla just shook her head as she opened the tomb. She easily ducked out of Corrin's strike before she sent a small fire spell at her. Corrin took the flame into her side. She cried out from the hit and clutched her side, the flame stung but it wasn't bad. Corrin bit back the pain and turned back to her sister. She couldn't lose so badly, she refused too!

"It's ok, let's keep going!" Corrin panted as she pulled out her own tome, a wind tome. She opened it quickly and cast a gust of wind towards her older sister. Camilla lifted her axe and slammed it down on the gust of wind, dispersing it. Except when she did that, Corrin was already upon her, sword raised. Corrin felt pure glee as she closed in on her sister. She would finally do it, she'd beat her sister!

"Sorry dear!" Camilla threw her tome in the air and deflected Corrin's sword using a well-placed backhand, with her gauntlet. Then she lifted her axe up, handle first and slammed it into Corrin's abdomen. Corrin gasped as the air was forced from her lungs, her armor blunted the blow but it still knocked the wind out of her. Corrin dropped her tome but she managed to hold onto her sword as Camilla caught the tome she threw into the air and stepped back, making sure to kick Corrin's tome away in the process.

"Come on Corrin!" Elise shouted. Corrin turned towards her other siblings, hiding her pain. Kamui was staring at her worriedly, while Elise was bouncing on her feet as she clutched onto his hand. Leo tried to remain passive but she could tell he was concerned about her. Meanwhile, Xander looked as stoic as ever, expecting something from her.

"Sorry dear…" Camilla said gently as she hefted her training axe. Corrin took a few moments of panting to restore her breathing before she stood back up straight and got back into her stance.

"Camilla, enough chances. End the match," Xander commanded and Corrin's eyes turned back towards the eldest only to see sharp purple staring back at her, expectantly. He was pressing her…pressing her to force something out. Her gaze shifted back to her twin, his red eyes only gave her one message.

"Do it, sis…" Kamui said silently.

"I'll make it painless, dear," Camilla said as she hefted her fire tome again and cast a simple fireball. Corrin dodged the flame easily but Camilla used the distraction to close in on her like Corrin did to her. Corrin deflected her axe with her sword deftly before she managed to boot Camilla in the abdomen before she swung her sword towards her legs. Corrin's eyes flickered to her older sister's eyes though when she saw them fill with a familiar glint. Corrin tried to pull away but her sword was caught under the Axe's blade. Before she could angle it out, Camilla pulled hard, disarming Corrin of her sword. The blade went flying out of her hand, behind Camilla.

"Sorry, dear…" Camilla said as she twirled her axe around, the flat of the blade aimed to strike Corrin's legs. Except before she could complete the attack something happened.

"Not this time!" Corrin shouted in her head as she shot her hand out towards Camilla. She felt a rush of power through her body, similar to whenever she used magic but different. Something just clicked inside her head and she went with it. She felt power rush through her palm as if she was using magic and she focused on that and the desire to win. Then a large blast of wind shot from her hand. Camilla's eyes widened as she was knocked off her feet. She landed in a heap a few feet away, with a small groan. Corrin stood there in shock though, not even bothering to pin her down. She just stared at her hand as she turned it so her palm was facing her.

"I did it…" Corrin thought in awe. Small arcs of wind arched around her hand for a few moments before they faded. Corrin concentrated to try and recreate the effect and she squealed when her new power responded to her. She felt her new power flow through her on command as the wind magic appeared around her like little wisps.

"You did it!" Corrin was broken out of her awe when a little blonde object slammed into her. She laughed as she lifted Elise up and spun around with her, listening to her little sister's pure laughter. She stopped when she felt a little dizzy and fatigued from her match only to be steadied by her twin, who was giving her his own bright smile.

"Told you, you had something…" he said as he hugged both her and Elise. Corrin hugged both of them, happily. She never thought she would ever discover her "gift" that everyone told her she had, but now she found it! All those years and sweat had paid off!

"Now that's not fair!" Corrin yelped when she felt someone wrap their arms around all of them and squeeze them. Corrin and her twin yelped while Elise yelled in joy when Camilla hugged all three of them.

"You give hugs to them so easily but not me?!" Corrin chuckled nervously as she looked up to her big sister's face. She was a bit disheveled but she had a proud look on her face.

"I'm so proud of you my little Corrin!" Camilla exclaimed as she hugged them all tighter. Corrin sighed happily, for once not being embarrassed by her big sister's overbearing affection.

"Now now, that's enough. Let the little princess breath," Xander interrupted. Camilla huffed, disappointed as she released the three and Elise hopped down from her hug and clung onto Corrin's hand this time. Corrin smiled at her little sister before she turned back towards her eldest brother and little brother.

"Impressive work, Corrin. Leo was right about you," Xander said with a gentle smile, pride etched on his features. Corrin nodded happily before she turned towards Leo who was staring off like he wasn't paying attention.

"Well it helps when you have a really good teacher!" Corrin said as she let go of Elise's hands and went up to her little brother. She felt exhausted from her match and using her new powers left her a bit drained but she managed it just fine. She leaned in and gave him a little peck on the cheek and his cheeks flushed red before he pulled his collar up to hide some of his face. Corrin laughed at his embarrassment before Xander cleared his throat.

"Now then, it is time we move onto the next spar. Kamui, are you ready? I expect a surprise from you as well," Xander said. Corrin turned back towards her twin who had tensed at their elder brother's words.

"Of course…" Kamui said softly. Camilla ruffled his already unkempt hair before she leaned down to kiss his head.

"You'll do great, Kamui. You both always do so well," Camilla said and Kamui batted her hand off of his hair, cheeks red. Camilla laughed before she walked over to the edge of the ring, with Leo. Xander picked out a training sword for himself and Kamui as he moved into the sparring ring.

Corrin didn't realize she was still in the way until Elise tugged on her hand to get her to move. Corrin smiled at her and pulled her into her side as they moved over to a safe position to watch, next to their other siblings. Corrin's eyes locked on her twin and for the briefest moment their eyes connected and she could see the same nervousness that she felt earlier in his eyes. She smiled and nodded to him, if she managed something then her twin would do it easily. Kamui returned the smile before he took a deep breath to calm himself as he turned to face Xander.

 **Kamui's POV**

"Do your best, Big Brothers!" Elise shouted as Kamui centered himself.

"Fight with the Devil's Luck," Leo commented.

"Please don't rough him up, too much, Xander," Camilla added. It irked Kamui a little that she thought he was going to lose again but he bit it back since he knew that she was just being overprotective.

"Do it…" Corrin said last and Kamui nodded, his eyes still closed as he focused himself.

"Are you ready to begin?" Xander asked followed by the scraping of a sword against the ground. Then he heard Xander throw something towards him. He opened his eyes to see a training sword coming at him and he reached out and grasped the blade by the hilt out of the air. His eyes zeroed in on Xander as he gripped his sword in both hands and held it at about his head as he pointed it towards his brother, his legs taking on a semi-loose stance so he could move but also stay grounded if he wished. He didn't like the weight of the sword but he had long since adapted to it. Xander didn't charge at him as usual though, instead he lifted his sword from the ground and started walking to the side. Kamui mirrored his movements and attentively stepped to match him, never breaking his sword's position.

"You have such a strange stance, Kamui. It's a bit more…movement oriented than ours, even your twin adopted our form to her style. Yet I don't see much of our style in your works. Surely we've taught you well, unless you weren't paying attention all this time…" Xander spoke and then suddenly he lashed out at him.

Kamui stepped to the side and swiped his sword at Xander's strike, deflecting it. Then he quickly turned his blade to his brother and slashed towards his gut. Xander stopped the strike though by bringing his sword back down just in time to tank the blow before he pushed forward. Kamui grunted as he disengaged quickly before he was forced into an unfavorable position. Xander followed him though and quickly slashed at him with his sword. Kamui jumped over the attack and summersaulted over him and slashed towards his unprotected back the moment his feet touched the ground. Except Xander ducked the strike and Kamui had to back off or else he would have moved into the tip of his brother's blade. Kamui took a few steps back before he returned to his stance.

"I can't argue with results though," Xander commented as he turned back to face him, a smile on his face. Kamui smiled back as well.

"You were all excellent teachers but the style doesn't suit me…so I found one that did, just as Corrin did. Mine just happened to take very little from the Norhian style," Kamui replied before he charged back in. Xander batted away his strike towards his left before he nailed Kamui in the head with the hilt of his sword. Kamui recovered from the blow though and ducked under Xander's blade and moved past his side, slashing the side of his armor with his blade as he did. The blade was real but it was dulled to the point where it was useless against anything above light armor. Except Kamui gasped when he felt his world flip when he felt Xander hit his back. He managed to land on his feet, barely. He shook his head to remove the dizziness as he looked back to Xander who was rubbing the side where he struck him.

"…Nice hit. If this had been real, you would have probably pierced the armor and dealt an injury. Still, you sacrificed two hits to deal this blow, both I could have easily capitalized on to end this. You must use more than this to defeat me," Xander said as he leveled his sword at Kamui.

"But Xander…" Kamui shook his head as he took a deep breath as he focused, he knew what Xander was asking him to do. He wanted him to use his gifts, just like Corrin had against Camila. He had unlocked his "talent" when he was younger but he always felt a bit…cut off whenever he used it, like he wasn't supposed to be able to do it. Don't get him wrong he liked his power, he felt free when he used it but it was perceived differently by the others around him. The looks he got from some of his trainers only intensified the feeling that perhaps he didn't belong…if only he could remember anything before he and his twin were placed in the fortress.

"They are your gifts, Little Prince. Use them, it is the only way that you can hope to best me this time. Father told me that if you prove yourself worthy he will allow you to see the outside world. So far only Corrin has proved her worth though…if you do not, then you will be left behind, here," Xander said and Kamui's eyes widened.

"What?!" Kamui shouted, aghast.

"I'm not leaving him here!" Corrin shouted, surprised.

"Xander!" Camilla chided. Xander held his hand up though to silence any other outbursts from the watchers. Kamui shook his head, he hated being confined to the fortress. The only thing that made it worthwhile was the fact that his servants were very kind and he always had his twin with him. His siblings regularly visited him but even then they weren't always around. If Corrin left…no, Kamui would not be left behind, in his cage, alone. If it meant leaving, then he would gladly swallow whatever reserves he had about using his gift for all to see.

"Did that give you incentive to use everything you have, Kamui?" Xander asked.

Kamui poured some of his energy into his training sword, giving off a small flash. Then he pulled his sword back and threw it at Xander. The paladin was surprised by the move and deflected the blade up into the air but Kamui smiled. Then in an instant he appeared where his sword was, hand on the hilt. Xander's eyes snapped up to him and unfortunately he was unable to react in time before Kamui slashed his blade down onto his shoulder. Xander grunted from the blow as the silver prince slammed his feet into his chest and kicked him, while pushing off of him. Kamui flipped in the air and threw his sword at the stunned Xander, again. Unfortunately, the paladin was still stunned from the last strike so he didn't have time to block it again. The blade bounced harmlessly against his chest plate and Kamui teleported to his sword again and delivered a quick strike across the paladin's chest.

"Hiya!" Xander powered through the strikes though and deflected Kamui's follow up strike, sending his sword arm up then he slashed towards Kamui's exposed side. Kamui wouldn't let it hit him though, using the other part of his power, he just moved faster than normal. He ducked fast, leaving only a light imprint of himself in the form of blue light, which Xander's blade harmlessly passed through.

Kamui kicked Xander's legs out from under him while he was distracted. Xander didn't fully fall onto the ground, he managed to somewhat catch himself with one knee and hand. He tried to slash at Kamui again with his sword but Kamui tele-dodged again to the side and with one swing he knocked Xander's sword into the air and booted him onto the ground. Then he caught Xander's sword in his other hand and crossed them at Xander's throat. His older brother just stared at him with wide eyes before he smiled at him.

"Well done," he said as he held his hands up. Kamui let out a tired breath as he pulled the blades away from his neck. He stuck the one belonging to Xander in the ground as the one he used, crumbled in his grasp. Another problem with his power was that he needed to pour his energy into something to allow him to teleport to it and nothing could hold itself up for long before it fell apart, literally. He shook his head as he offered Xander his hand, which he took and helped pull him onto his feet. Then the paladin clasped his shoulder and gave it a firm shrug.

"Excellent work, I knew you just needed a proper push, just like Corrin," Xander said proudly. Then Kamui nearly fell forward when two weights slammed into his back. Xander chuckled as he helped steady him so he wouldn't fall forward.

"You did it!" Elise screamed as she hung off of his neck. He knew the other one was his twin. If it was Camilla he would have been on the floor and Leo wasn't too keen on glomping people.

"I knew you could do it!" Corrin shouted next as she moved in front of him and hugged him. Kamui chuckled as he hugged both of his little sisters, gratefully.

"You really do have the devil's luck," Leo commented, amused and Kamui rolled his eyes as Corrin pulled away from him and Elise hopped down from her perch on his back. Leo was proud of course, but they all knew he was far too proud to admit it unless they almost died.

"Though this time you seemed to make your own luck for once…" Leo commented with a small smile. Though there were small exceptions to his pride.

"Xander!" Camilla marched over and their older brother paled a tad bit as Camilla smacked his arm, which didn't seem to do anything since he was armored.

"Why did you have to tell Little Kamui that? You nearly broke his little heart!" Camilla chided and Xander shook his head. Kamui chuckled nervously since he found it a little worrying that Camilla still thought he was seven in all regards when he was ten years older than that now.

"I just needed to prod him to release his restraint on his abilities. I needed to confirm his strength for Father," Xander replied and Camilla's little glare softened right away before she sighed. Kamui winced at the mention of their "father" again. Kamui had only seen the man a few times over the years, the ones he and his twin could remember anyway. The man always tended to make Kamui feel like he was seconds away from the execution block. If Kamui was honest, he seriously doubted he was really his father. Kamui and Corrin looked nothing like their siblings, at all, they didn't have the purple eyes that they all had and their hair was far too pale to be the same shade as their's. He never voiced his concerns though since he didn't want to upset anyone or worse, make his fears a reality.

"I'm so proud of you two!" Kamui flinched as Camilla closed in and pulled him and his twin into a tight hug. Kamui was never so thankful for being taller than his twin than he was at that point. He managed to get out of being suffocated while his poor twin wasn't.

"Now now, Camilla. Don't suffocate them before I tell them the good news," Xander said, amused as always at their suffering. Camilla huffed and released them. Corrin took a few deep breaths to calm herself before she glared at Kamui who just shrugged, playfully.

"No, I'll tell them! Corrin, Kamui. We were just told that our Father wants you to come to the capital to meet him!" Camilla said joyfully. Kamui and Corrin's eyes both widened as they heard the news.

"Really?!" Corrin asked, excited. Camilla nodded, excited as she grabbed Corrin's hands.

"Isn't it great, you both finally get to leave this gloomy fortress and see the outside!" Camilla said, excited and Corrin squealed and for once she jumped up and hugged Camilla, who was all too happy to embrace her. Kamui felt excited too but something felt wrong, it seemed a little bit…off. It was very sudden…

"Come on, Big Brother! You get to leave the castle, we'll be together all the time now!" Elise said as she jumped onto his back again. Kamui smiled as he easily hefted his sister's weight on his back.

"When do we leave?" Kamui asked as he adjusted Elise on his back. Xander motioned towards the exit.

"We leave now, of course. Pack light, you likely won't be back here for some time,"

* * *

 **Thoughts? Was I obvious enough?**


	3. Twins

I don't own Fire Emblem

 **Hey everyone here's another chapter! A bit shorter than I'd like but we're still in the short chapters. Thank you for the reviews! You're all lovely for that. To be honest I didn't know whether I should take this story seriously or not, but I have my answer now. Anyway, pairings are still undecided. I really don't have a clue who I am going to put Corrin with, I mean there is Leo but I still don't know. I will say that I do like Kamui and Hinoka getting paired up, they're cute and it does tie in more with what I have planned...**

 **On another note, do you all think that I should make two Yato's appear or only one? I have plans for either decision; both are very tempting. Otherwise I'm flipping a coin for it.**

 **Not much else for me to say besides, like/favorite and review please! Enjoy!**

Chapter 2: Reality

* * *

 **Corrin's POV**

"This is the capital?" Corrin asked as she and Kamui walked behind the rest of their siblings through the great castle of Krakenburg. Their servants, Jakob and Felica were walking behind them while their trainer/guard, Gunter flanked their right. Krakenburg was a giant castle, even larger than the one the twins were confined to for years. Corrin didn't know what to think, she was still so excited to be outside for once. She knew her twin was too even though he was far more reserved about it.

"It's not that great…" Elise commented as she walked in between them, holding both of their hands. Easy for her to say, she'd lived there her whole life while they were stuck in a gloomy place for as long as they could remember. To be fair Krakenburg was far darker than their home but it was also more majestic. It was situated over a giant crater, which sent alarms off in Corrin's head but she trusted that it was sturdier than it looked.

"I would have preferred to spend more time in the sun," Kamui commented a bit sadly. Corrin knew her twin was aching to go out and see more of the world, everyone who knew him, knew that he ached for it. They'd barely gotten to see anything on their way to the capital. Kamui had wanted to stand in the sun a bit more, he liked the sunlight, and light in general far more than Corrin did, she just saw it as an annoyance when she was trying to sleep, the moonlight too. Not that it should have bothered her so much since it was usually so dark at the Fortress. Xander and Camilla were adamant with getting them to the capital as quickly as possible. Kamui was even more anxious than usual now that they were actually outside. He hid it but she knew him too well.

"I believe you will have plenty of time to explore the world after we see the King, Lord Kamui," Gunter said stiffly but politely. The old knight had been with them since they were children, he was their trainer just as much as Xander and the others were. He was also their personal guard and quite a gentle soul despite his long history of battle.

"I hope Lilith and Flora won't get lonely at the Fortress without us. I didn't even get to say goodbye to them. I didn't even see Lilith the whole day…" Corrin commented, sadly. Lilith, was another one of their servants but she'd been with them longer than the other three. She was like another big sister to them, though the the twins would _never_ say that in the presence of Camilla, she would never stand for sharing the Big Sister position. Xander told them that Flora and Lilith would have to remain so that they could maintain the fortress for them, for when they returned. Though Corrin had a feeling if Kamui had his way, he'd never go back.

"Hurry up, we don't want Father to be upset with us," Xander ordered and Corrin sighed as she and Kamui were pulled along by Elise across the bridge to the main castle where their father lived.

The inside of the palace was similar to the fortress just a lot bigger. Corrin didn't pay much attention to that. Their servants were told to wait outside while the rest of them went in. The throne room was similar to the dining hall back at the fortress. Just a lot bigger, a whole lot bigger. An entire army could fit in the room practically. There was only a single seat; a very ornate and decorated seat in the entire room and that was at the end of the room, elevated up by two flights of stairs. And there was only one person in the room, who happened to occupy the seat, the throne. Their father, Garon King of all Nohr.

"Ah, Xander, I was wondering if you could move any slower," Garon said as he stood from his throne. Garon was not the most…nice looking man in the world. His dragon longevity was in effect but even then he seemed so…dark like his deeds alone seemed to age him despite his dragon blood making that impossible. He had the same purple eyes as Xander and the rest of Corrin's siblings, besides her twin. His hair had greyed over and his skin seemed sullen like he never smiled, in joy. Aside from that he was dressed for battle, like the rest of them, except his armor was a lot showier if Corrin needed a tame word.

"Apologies, Father. We came as soon as we could; I just needed to test Corrin and Kamui before we left the fortress. We made no delays on the journey between the fortress and the capital, I swear to you," Xander said as he knelt before his father at the foot of the stairs. The rest of the siblings all followed suite, though they knelt behind the eldest. Kamui dropped to a knee as well, pulling Corrin down with him.

"Ah yes, of course. You may all rise…" Garon commanded. Corrin waited for Kamui to stand before she stood as well. Her twin was a bit better than her at reading situations but she didn't need to be an expert to know that their father was not very forgiving of slights. Corrin knew that much even though she'd only seen him a few times over the years.

"Kamui, Corrin, it has been some time since we last spoke. I trust you are enjoying your time out of the Fortress?" Garon asked, Kamui nudged Corrin slightly and she took it as her queue. Corrin bowed slightly to her father as she stepped forward a bit.

"Of course, Father. We are glad to be in the capital and it is a pleasure to see you again," Corrin said softly. Garon nodded before he stared at them for a few moments, making Corrin's skin crawl and she felt her twin tense up next to her as well.

"I hear your training is going well. Xander tells me that you both have managed to defeat him and Camilla now. An interesting development, seventeen years of age and already mightier than your older siblings…I don't recall them ever being quite as strong at that age…" Garon mused. Corrin noticed Xander and Camilla wilt slightly and she immediately felt angry for their father's belittlement of them.

"We just surprised them, Father. Corrin discovered her power and I was goaded into using my own power to a degree I hadn't used them in before," Kamui intervened. Corrin smiled at her twin and she noticed Camilla shoot them both a small look but Xander didn't turn to them. Their father scoffed at the notion though.

"Being caught by surprise is worse than losing outright if you ask me, especially for ones claiming to be of Nohr royalty as well as my eldest…especially the one who is supposed to be my heir…" Garon chided. Corrin winced at the total disregard their father had for his oldest children.

"Well regardless of what they say, I want to see these abilities for myself," Garon said as he lifted his hand up in signal. Corrin heard the doors to the throne room open up behind her and she turned around to see a few guards drag in six people. They were all dressed for battle but the two in the middle were the ones that stuck out.

One was a tall young man with medium length green hair and sharp grey eyes. His face was smooth and unmarred but the determination and calmness in his eyes showed Corrin that he was far from harmless. It was a bit similar to when her twin was in the "zone" as he called it. The man was dressed in dark clothing and light armor around his arms and legs. If Corrin remembered correctly, the man was a ninja or a shinobi. He was a bit ruffled up, no doubt from when he was captured but he didn't seem impeded. His eyes locked on hers and for a moment Corrin thought that he seemed to look at her differently.

"Why have you brought us here? For some decorated execution?" the woman next to the man, spat. The woman next to the man was the exact opposite of him practically. She stood with open defiance in her posture and her voice. The woman had white hair, just a shade darker than Corrin or her twin's. She had red eyes that were alight with defiance and the readiness to battle. The same eyes that Camilla or Leo would get during spars. She was dressed a bit revealing, she wore baggy pants and boots but her upper body was only covered with bandages to hide her decency, while she showed off the rest of her upper body. It made Corrin's cheeks flush a bit and she knew her twin was probably in the same boat, even if he hid it better. The woman wore a headband/crown that had red fur attached to it, giving the impression that she also had red hair.

"As you know, we are on a tentative peace with the eastern kingdom, Hoshido. We might as well be at war though; we caught these Hoshidians sneaking around in our lands, near the capital. I believe they will make an excellent test for your abilities, since they will actively try to end you…" Garon said and Corrin frowned at the notion. Her gaze turned to her siblings near their father but they just stared at them worriedly. She looked towards her twin but he just took up his usual calm collected self when pressed into situations like this. He knew as well as she did that they were going to be in for it. This was the first time they would be acting without their siblings to help them.

"Kamui, Corrin, you will face these Hoshidians in combat, alone with nothing but your own abilities. This is your test to prove if you are ready to serve Nohr. Do you both understand? It is time to truly earn your place here in Nohr," Garon stated and Corrin winced at the unsaid threat at the end. They were both unproven and it was obvious from the fact that their armor was silver/grey instead of black like their siblings. Even Elise had been seen as worthy before them. The twins both turned back to their father and this time, Kamui took the lead.

"We understand…Father. Will you at least permit us weapons to defend ourselves?" Kamui asked, respectfully. It was a dance that they had practiced many times. Corrin was the more charismatic one when it came to being a bit friendlier. Her twin was a nice person, she knew that more than anyone but his calm and cautious nature towards people he didn't know tended to make people…think he was a jerk. That same nature was the reason why he was the one who was more accustomed to protocols and how not to offend someone in power. It was an unspoken agreement between them that the one who spoke for them would depend on the situation. It came in handy when trying to talk their way past Xander or Camilla to get something they wanted like extra training or…extra sweets.

"Of course, I would be a fool to send you into battle unarmed," Garon said as he snapped his fingers. Two sprites of magic sped towards them and they stopped in front of them and took the shapes of swords.

The one appearing in front of Corrin was a blade type that she had never seen before. The sword was the same length as any sword except the blade was sort of curved forward and back like it was trying to be a wave. It was a dark purple color. In fact it gave off a purple glow like how Xander's sword gave off a redish one. The guard of the sword was small and it seemed to be designed after a skull almost. The hilt was a dark grey while the area above the pommel was like a crescent and the pommel itself was a small gem. She took the blade into her hand and was surprised by how light it was in her hand. Well to be honest it was heavy but she didn't have trouble lifting it. It felt right in her hand for some reason. She looked over towards her twin to see what he got.

The blade in front of Kamui looked like a standard sword in shape. It was a longsword by length, it had a straight, slightly thinner blade but it was razor sharp. The blade itself was jet black in color but not as dark as Corrin's. The blade had an intricate design of lines across it. The hilt was the same black as the blade and long, for two hands and the guard was a bit smaller than standard for longswords but enough for Kamui. The only other thing was that Corrin noticed the gem in the pommel of the blade give off a purple hue. The sword itself gave off a faint purple glow as well. Kamui took it into his hand and gave it a few practice swings before he nodded in acceptance but Corrin knew he was excited. He was always complaining that the training swords or the iron swords they used back at the fortress were heavier than he'd like. Plus well…they could never withstand his power for long.

"Corrin…your blade is named the Ganglari, forged by my own magic. I hope it serves you well. Kamui…your blade was not named just yet. It was much more…difficult to forge something that I thought would be able to sustain your powers permanently. I believe you will be happy with the results," Garon said. Corrin shifted her new sword in her hand comfortably before she looked over towards her twin. He took a small breath and then his sword gave off a small flash like all weapons did whenever he pumped his energy into them. Surprisingly though the aura around the blade flickered out before it returned but it had changed from a purple aura to a blue.

"Incredible…I don't feel the blade withering away…" Kamui said in awe as he swung the blade around a few times. Corrin smiled at her twin before she turned towards their father, only to barely stop herself from wilting from the absolute glare on his face. It didn't stay for long but she still saw it. She knew her twin had as well since he had frozen again. Had they offended him somehow?

"Yes…well go on then. You will face these foolish, Hoshidians now…" Garon said offhanded as he waved his hand, creating a barrier around his throne and their siblings. It was obviously meant to keep the Hosidians out and to prevent the twins from getting help. Corrin and Kamui both bowed to their father, catching the encouraging/worried looks of their siblings before they turned back towards the Hoshidians. The guards that escorted them in dropped weapons at their feet before they left back through the doors. The six Hoshidians cut their bonds with the weapons before they readied themselves for battle.

"Stand firm, Corrin. This won't be like practice…" Kamui said calmly as he stepped ahead of her. Corrin fell in place next to him as they moved down from the steps to the leveled ground. The four Hoshidian soldiers fanned out while the ninja and the fire girl stayed in the center of the formation.

"I am Rinkah, Oni daughter of the Flame Tribe Chieftain, descendant of the Flame Dragon! What are your names, Nohrians?" the fire girl demanded as she leveled her club at them. Kamui held his sword up with both hands, the flat of the blade facing towards them, his head bowed. Corrin placed her sword in the ground and placed her hands on top of the blade and nodded her head towards the Hoshidians as well.

"I am called Kamui, and this is my sister, Corrin," Kamui said respectfully as he raised his head and Corrin did the same.

"What?! Can it be…" the green haired ninja flinched at their names and Corrin tilted her head in question.

"Is something wrong?" she asked the ninja. The man grunted before he sighed and calmed down, returning to his stoic expression.

"You shouldn't be asking your enemy that question. I am Kaze, a Shinobi of Hoshido, prepare yourselves, Nohrians," he said as he slammed his fist into the palm of his other hand and gave them a small bow before he drew his dagger. Corrin pulled her sword from the ground and twirled on her foot as she adjusted into her stance while her brother got into his own stance. All of the Hoshidians flinched for some reason before they returned to their readiness. Corrin wiped away the questions forming in her head though as she prepared herself.

"What should we do, Kamui?" Corrin asked as the Hoshidians began closing in.

"We need to stay together, we're outnumbered three to one, if we're not careful they will overwhelm us. Let's pick off the soldiers and we'll deal with the ninja and the Oni last," Kamui addressed quickly. Corrin nodded, as she called on her wind, happy when it answered her readily. They would not lose out on this, their freedom was riding on this test. Corrin just hoped that everything would go as smoothly as they hoped. She turned towards her black clad twin and she nodded to him.

* * *

 **Kamui's POV**

"Go, I'll follow you in," Corrin said as she readied herself to run. Kamui took a breath before he sprinted towards their opponents and Corrin did her best to keep up with him. The Hoshidians spread out into a wider formation as they closed in. Though the two in the center stayed put as the other four closed in. Kamui acted first though before they could be surrounded. He threw his sword towards the man furthest to his right, hoping the man wouldn't expect it. He was proven correct but it was far more effective than he thought.

The sword lodged itself in the man's chest and Kamui flinched. He saw blood leak from the wound followed by the man's scream. It shook him at his core, Xander and Camilla had always deflected the blade whenever he threw it at them; it was just a ploy. That move was never supposed to actually deal damage, just give him an opening so that he could strike. It should have occurred to him that the man was far from his siblings' equal. He pushed down the feeling of dread and teleported to his sword. Kamui's hand gripped his new sword and pulled it from the man and slashed his leg, opening a large gash in the man's leg. The man cried out in pain as he crumbled to the floor, unable to continue. Kamui squashed whatever feelings he had about the action. He had trained for this his whole life…

"Die!" Kamui easily dodged the spear from the other Hoshidian but he was surprised by the sheer…anger in the man's eyes as he attacked him. Kamui batted the spear away with his new sword, carefully. He appreciated how perfectly the blade felt in his hand, it was light and durable like he always wanted. Also…the Hoshidian was so slow.

"Hold still!" Kamui deflected every strike that came his way from the Hoshidian. Years of training against Xander and Camilla had fine-tuned him to fighting someone of their caliber. This man was clearly far below that. Kamui stepped around one of the strikes and slashed the man's wrist. The Hosidian cried out in pain and dropped his weapon before Kamui slashed his legs, forcing him to fall to the ground, spent. Kamui ignored the blood and the man's cries of pain. He turned to see how his twin was doing and was thankful to see that she hadn't frozen up during the fight either.

Corrin waved her hand, using her wind to send one of her opponents flying. Kamui winced in his head when the man slammed into the ground with a crack and didn't get up. He saw his twin flinch and he was about to interfere but thankfully she shook herself out of it just in time to duck under her other attacker and in the same motion she used her new sword to slash his side and in a clean follow up she slashed his knee, sending him to the ground. He could see her visibly shake though and he quickly ran over to her and grabbed her arm.

"Corrin?" Kamui shook her roughly, making her look at him. Her eyes were full of regret and dread, the last thing she should have been doing in a situation like that!

"Kamui…I…" Kamui shook her again and pointed towards Rinkah and Kaze who were still watching them, patiently. They had seen them use their tricks, now they would have a harder time dealing with them.

"Are you good? We're not done yet…" Kamui ordered and Corrin's eyes widened but she relented and nodded slowly.

"Be careful, they let their men go first so that they could see what we could do…" Kamui explained as he finally let go of his twin. Corrin's eyes returned to normal and he winced slightly and sighed as he moved in front of his twin.

"I can do this, Corrin…you don't have to fight if you don't want to…" Kamui offered. The fact that Kamui took down those men so easily shook him at his core. He had killed before but that was some time ago and it was nowhere near as easy to draw blood back then. There was no doubt in his mind that his twin was more than a bit shaken. Corrin had a softer heart than Kamui and while he thought that was a good thing, it would not aid them in that situation. The two in front of them would be difficult but there was no way they were near Xander's caliber. He hadn't needed to use his phasing yet, hopefully that would be enough for him to take them both on.

"NO!" Corrin shouted as she moved to his side. Kamui was shocked by that declaration and he turned to his twin to see defiant red eyes staring at him.

"I won't make you fight my battles…we're twins! We fight together! Always!" Corrin declared. Kamui allowed a smile to break through his visage and he nodded as he turned back to the final obstacles in their test.

"Let's just…try not to hurt them too badly…" Corrin added. Kamui nodded to his twin's request and not a moment too soon since their opponents seemed less inclined to wait if the blades coming towards them were any clue. Shuriken if Kamui remembered correctly. Though it was, Rinkah coming up right behind them that caught his interest.

"I got it!" Corrin waved her hand, creating a rough gust of wind. The shuriken lost momentum when they hit the gust and fell to the ground uselessly.

Kamui dashed forward to meet Rinkah after the shuriken fell. Rinkah swung first and Kamui deflected her strike with his sword. The oni seemed surprised since her eyes widened when she was staggered back from the parry. Kamui swung towards her unarmed side but before his strike connected he phased back a step, dodging Kaze's dagger from above. He caught the ninja's wide eyes before he slashed across his, chest. Caught off guard, the ninja had no time to dodge and took the slash across his chest.

"Ugh!" Kaze fell to the ground, clutching at his chest. Blood seeped from the wound but it wasn't deep.

"Bastard!" Rinkah growled as she charged forward. Kamui phased again out of her attack and then he threw his sword in the air and teleported to it.

"Stop running and fight!" Rinkah shouted. Except since she was so concerned with him she didn't see Corrin fire another gust of wind. The blast hit her directly, sending her onto her back with a thud. Kamui threw his sword down towards her but before the blade could connect, Kaze moved in front of it and deflected it. Except instead of letting it drift he smacked it to the side just in time to brace himself for another one of Corrin's wind attacks. He barely managed to hold himself up and was still pushed back a few feet along with Rinkah. The oni staggered onto her feet and Kaze was still holding his injury. Kamui's teleport worked two ways though. He called the sword back to his hand and threw it back down to the ground so he could teleport to the ground without risk, next to his twin.

"How are you feeling, brother?" Corrin asked and Kamui waved her off. His powers could be a bit draining if he used them too often but he had trained to use them more efficiently. Still, he would have to be careful, he had expected to already be victorious by this point but the two were still coming. Injured and winded, yes but not defeated.

"I should be asking you that. You just discovered your powers a few days ago after all. I've been training to use mine for years now," Kamui replied, noting that his sister was a bit winded from her repeated use of her power. He knew that using magic without a catalyst like tombs or staffs that had magic in them meant that you had to pull the energy from your own stamina. There was a reason it was difficult to do.

"I'll be fine. Just a little more and we win," Corrin said as she straightened up. They looked back towards their battered opponents who were tense. They had lost their bout and they were preparing for what could have been their last one.

"Well then let's go…" Kamui said. Corrin cast another strong gust of wind towards the oni and ninja. The duo braced themselves and held themselves planted but Corrin didn't let up this time. Instead of simply sending a strong gust, she sent a continuous funnel towards them. To their credit, the duo held their ground and tried to fight through it to reach them.

"Kamui throw it!" Corrin shouted as she continued pushing against the ninja and the oni. Kamui threw his sword at them, using the wind funnel behind it to make it speed up. Kaze saw it coming and tipped out of the way as did Rinkah but they sacrificed their footing and Corrin choose that moment to intensify her attack further. They both lost their ground and were swept up and while they were sent flying, Corrin ceased her attack.

"Now!" Corrin shouted. Kamui appeared at his sword, behind the airborne ninja and oni. He slashed both Kaze and Rinkah as they passed him before they could realign themselves. He took extra care to not strike them too deep or near anything vital, which was only possible due to their surprise. Then he turned to face them both as Corrin rushed towards them.

They both hit the ground painfully. Kaze tried to get up but Kamui's second cut had hit true this time, preventing him from getting up right away, at least until Corrin rushed over and placed her sword at his throat, making him stop. Rinkah's injury was the same, a semi-deep yet nonlethal cut in her gut yet it seemed she was able to still fight through it to try and stand. Kamui threw his sword towards them and appeared over Rinkah as she attempted to rise and stamped his foot down into her stomach, making her gasp.

"Don't move…" Kamui ordered as he placed the tip of his blade at her throat. He kicked her club out of her hand as well and didn't remove his foot from her gut; in fact he drove it in further, driving his foot into the wound he inflicted, making her cry out.

"Bastard!" Rinkah snarled as she reached up to try and claw at his leg and Kamui lifted his foot off of her and stamped it down into her wound, hard. She gasped and cried out and Kamui drove his sword towards her throat, this time making the tip touch her neck. This time if she moved she'd kill herself. She just glared at him and Kamui took care not to allow himself to frown or wince. He could practically feel his twin frowning at the back of his head but he shook it off, they had to be firm in this situation. Otherwise they'd figure out that they had no intention of killing them.

"Splendid show!" King Garon boasted and Kamui felt his stomach twist at the notion that his "father" actually liked what he saw. The doors to the throne room opened and the guards that came in earlier marched in.

"Cease the prisoners and bring them here!" King Garon ordered. Kamui waited until the guards had Rinkah's arms before he got off of her. Rinkah's red eyes continued to glare at him until he was behind her. He looked towards his twin to see her staring at him worriedly but he shook his head and nodded for her to go on. His twin wilted a little but she relented and sent over towards the throne with the prisoners. He followed close behind, his gaze shifted to his siblings to see various expressions.

Xander gave him a small nod but other than that his expression was as stoic as ever. That was his code for he approved or that he was smiling. Kamui felt a little irked that his older brother never could openly show his affection when their "father" was present. Camilla gave him a bright smile and Kamui felt his heart warm up, she had looked after him all this time, he craved her approval far more than he showed. Leo gave him his usual flippant sigh, which meant he was glad and he felt annoyed when he gave Corrin the actual smile. Yep…he was going to make sure he stole all his collars later. Elise was the one who was the sunshine of joy up there; she had her brightest smile on her face. Elise adored both Kamui and his twin but Kamui had a feeling that he was the preferred one if it ever came down to it, he could never bear seeing her sad. She was always tugging on his cloak or his arm to give her sweets, and he could never refute her. He allowed his visage to break and smile just for her and her cheeks flushed. Then she ran down the stairs and jumped up to hug both of them, much to their delight.

"Excellently done, you two. Truly you two are ready to be of use to Nohr," Garon said as he stepped down from his throne so he was standing with Xander and the others. Kamui flashed Corrin a look before he pulled away from Elise to address their "father".

"Thank you Father…" Kamui said as he bowed to him, knowing that Corrin got the hint. After a few moments he rose, happy to see that Corrin had followed his example perfectly. The king was as stoic/unhappy as always though before he nodded towards the prisoners.

"Now…kill them and be done with it so we may discuss how you will be of further use," Garon commanded and it took all of Kamui's willpower not to break his visage and show surprise. His twin had no such buffer though.

"What?! But we already beat them! There's no reason to kill them!" Corrin shouted, aghast. Kamui's eyes locked on the king and he felt his heartbeat quicken as he saw the narrowed eyes that had long since burned into his mind.

"We are at war with Hoshido! These people are your enemies, you will execute them here to show your loyalty!" Garon roared and Kamui flinched at his tone and he felt Elise grab his hand and he squeezed her hand tightly more to comfort himself than her for the first few moments. Even Xander and the others were unsettled by the king's quick shift to anger.

"Perhaps you are in need of a demonstration!" Garon boasted as he pointed his hand towards the four Hoshidian soldiers that were bested early in the fight. Kamui's eyes widened and he quickly turned and pulled Elise to him, pulled his cloak over her and thankfully she covered her ears.

Right as he finished that action the king fired a fireball into the small group of Hoshidians. They screamed as the flames burned them alive right in front of all of them. The men all fell to the ground, writhing in agony as they desperately clung to life as the flames burned them. Kamui shuddered when he saw them literally start melting before their eyes. Corrin screamed in horror as they watched the violent deaths. It only lasted a few seconds but every one of those seconds felt like an hour.

Kamui could feel Elise shaking in his hold and he hugged her to him tighter but he refused to drop his cloak in fear that she would sneak a peek by accident. It wasn't until the men were nothing but a pile of ashes that he dropped his cloak. Even then Elise didn't pull back, instead she dropped her hands from her ears and wrapped her arms around him.

"That is how we deal with our enemies!" Garon boasted and Kamui felt his stomach twist even further. He had seen displays like that more than he'd like over his years under the king. It never got any easier, especially the screams. He looked towards his other siblings to see that even the ever stoic Xander had faltered and Camilla and Leo looked disturbed but it was his twin that looked the worst.

"Why!?" Corrin cried out, she was in between angry and sad. Kamui would have stopped her but Elise clung to him so tightly that he couldn't break away without being a little rough.

"You bastard!" Rinkah roared as she thrashed against the soldiers holding her. Kaze just glared at the king, if looks could kill the king would have a million blades sticking out of him.

"You will finish the last two! Now!" Garon ordered. Kamui knew what was going to come next though.

"No!" Corrin shouted, defiantly and Kamui had to not so gently pull Elise away from him and quickly rush over to his twin and pull her back.

"Please excuse her, Father. I will handle it, just please don't punish her…" Kamui said quickly as he bowed to him, he squeezed his twin's arm to tell her not to try anything. Thankfully the king didn't get angrier and simply scoffed.

"Then get on with it before you test my patience further…" he ordered. Corrin didn't understand how unforgiving their "father" could be. Kamui knew all too well though, he'd received the hand of "punishment" more times than he'd like when he was younger. He would do anything to protect Corrin from any and all of it…

"Brother you can't!" Corrin said as she grabbed his arm. Kamui winced at the desperation in her voice. He looked up towards Xander and the others but the only thing he saw there was clear "do it…". Kamui sighed and pulled his arm away from his twin and turned to her.

"You don't understand what he'll do…please…just…just make sure Elise doesn't see…" Kamui commanded. Corrin's eyes widened in disbelief but he would have none of that and shook her. His twin's eyes filled with tears before she nodded and quickly went towards their younger sister to shield her view. Kamui didn't want his precious little sister to see any of this.

He drew his sword and despite it being perfect in his hand it felt heavy. He'd killed before years ago, it was a test set for him by the King. It was another one of the children…another one of his siblings. They were told to kill each other and…Kamui did it. He was only ten when he did that and it was still fresh in his mind like it was only yesterday. Even more deaths had followed that. What was two more to the list when he was already a killer?

"Stop stalling, Kamui! Prove you are a Prince of Nohr, prove to us all that you deserve to wear those colors!" Garon commanded and Kamui grit his teeth in his mind. He chose the colors to honor Xander not him!

"I'm sorry…" Kamui thought as he moved in front of the oni and the ninja. The soldiers forced them to their knees and stepped back and Kamui placed his sword on top of the oni's neck. She closed her eyes and awaited the end and Kamui took a breath as he lifted his sword but before he could bring it down he heard the familiar sound of Leo's magic. Then the ground beneath the oni and the ninja lit up and they were blasted away a few feet and were unmoving. Kamui snapped over to his brother to see him with his hand outstretched but he saw the message in his eyes right away to keep quiet.

"Leo?" Garon asked, surprisingly not infuriated. Kamui reached out and grabbed his twin's shoulder before she rushed in to no doubt tackle their little brother. She glared at him but he glared right back at her and she wilted and stayed put.

"Apologies Father. I have executed our enemies in place of my brother and sister. I beg of you to please be merciful to them," Leo said respectfully. The king stared at the dark mage and Kamui held his breath as the king turned away and waved him off.

"Very well…I will send you details for a mission later…do what you wish with the time allowed," Garon dismissed as he left, leaving through the door behind his throne. Kamui let go of his twin when their father left and before he could stop her she stormed up to their brother and slugged him hard across his surprised face with a cringing crack of the dark knight's nose.

"Ah!" Leo cried out as he clutched his nose as he fell onto the ground. Kamui would have laughed if it wasn't uncalled for.

"You bastard! Why?!" Corrin screamed as she lifted her hand to strike him again but Xander intervened and grabbed her arms and pulled her away from the dark knight.

"Quiet down, Little Princess…they're not dead…" Xander said lowly and Corrin flinched. Kamui shook his head and he held his hand out and a second later he felt Elise take it.

"Indeed…good thinking, Leo," Camilla commended in a surprisingly calm voice. Xander released Corrin who immediately crouched down to help their little brother with his injured nose.

"What the hell Corrin?!" Leo groaned as he clutched his nose. Blood leaked from it and it was at a bit of an odd angle. Xander reached down and grabbed his nose and Kamui winced when he literally pulled his nose back into its usual position with a snap. Leo cried out in pain and Corrin said about a million apologies as she tried to help him wipe the blood away.

"Bring the bodies to the courtyard. I wish to inspect them before we dispose of them," Xander ordered, followed by two complies as the soldiers quickly started collecting the bodies.

"Quickly, Leo stop moping. We must see to the disposal immediately," Xander commanded.

 **Later**

"Stop squirming. You're worse than my little brother…" Kamui chided as he healed the oni. His hands were near her wounds and he was using his affinity for healing to seal her wounds up correctly. Rinkah grumbled as she continued to squirm around as he healed her and Kamui rolled his eyes. Elise was healing the ninja up while Xander had Siegfried drawn in case they tried something.

"I heard that…" Leo groaned behind him and Kamui scoffed.

"I know how to unheal that nose…" Kamui mentioned as he sealed up the oni's wounds. Corrin and Camilla giggled behind him while Leo just sighed. Kamui stood up when he was done healing the oni and he looked over to see Elise finishing up with Kaze as well. The two stood up after that and Xander prodded them towards the direction of the exit.

"Listen well…it is only by the kindness of my sister that you live. Now leave before the king sees you," Xander commanded. Kaze immediately ran off after he finished while Rinkah marched up to Kamui. Xander tensed but she didn't try to strike him.

"I am no simple prisoner to be set free like a stray…you are Kamui and your sister is named Corrin correct?" she asked, tensely. Kamui just nodded and his hand was itching near his sword just in case.

"When we meet next time, I will even the score…" she said simply, her red eyes boring into his own. Then she turned to run off. Kamui watched her go with narrowed eyes, getting a bad feeling about her. He had a feeling he'd see her again soon. Then he felt Xander place his hand on his shoulder and he turned to see his brother smiling at him.

"Good work today. By the way, what are you going to name your sword? Father didn't give you time to name it before," Xander asked and Kamui thought about it. It took him a moment to come up with an acceptable name before he nodded.

"Saisho," Kamui said simply and Xander chuckled softly at that, probably because it was in Hoshidian language. Kamui shrugged offhanded it just felt right and the word came off his tongue naturally.

"Hey sorry about breaking your nose, Leo…" Corrin said meekly even though she apologized a thousand times already. Kamui laughed as he turned to see her still fretting over their brother. He crossed his arms at her and then a thoughtful look came across his face before he nodded.

"Make me some of those cheese Danishes and I'll forget about it…" he said and then Corrin suddenly turned to him and Kamui's eyes widened.

"Brother? Please?" she asked and Kamui groaned.

"Why do I have to do it? Ask Felica to make them or better yet, you make them. You're the one that punched him!" Kamui refused, his cheeks flushing. Then he felt tugging on his arm and he looked down to see Elise staring up at him with her puppy eyes.

"Can you please bake again, Big Brother. Can you make that cake I love so much too!" Elise pleaded and Kamui frowned and he swore inside his head, he couldn't refuse that face! He heard his sisters and his brothers all laugh at him and he was tempted to say yes and put vomit-inducing drugs in their food.

"Fine…" Kamui sighed and Elise cheered before she walked up to Corrin and Leo and gave them both high fives. Kamui gaped and felt his blood boil at the sight and all of them laughed at him, even Xander.

"I've been played…" Kamui thought, angrily. How dare they use his precious little sister against him in such a way. He took a deep breath and smiled at his siblings, brightly. Enjoying the way that they all visibly shook.

"Of course sister…just remind to…go check the corners, the firewood, the trees and sharpen my scissors later…" he said happily and Corrin paled along with Leo and Camilla started combing her hair while Xander chuckled but he noticed him place his hand on his sword tightly. Elise was the only one who remained joyful as ever.

"Come along!" Kamui said joyfully as he grabbed Corrin and Leo by their collars and started dragging them off to the kitchens. Dastardly plans for his revenge already taking place.

* * *

 **Never piss off Kamui…**

 **Anyway sorry if you guys wanted more of Corrin's POV. I promise that next chapter will have more of things from her POV.**


	4. Family

I don't own Fire Emblem

 **Here you guys go, it's not a proper chapter exactly but Thanksgiving is here and I wanted to give you guys a little something. Also as a little chapter to give you guys backstory to the relationships between the siblings. Next update will take a bit since life comes first. Thanks for the reviews, nameless guest and Lea Angelique. Unfortunately I do not know if I can make KamuixElise a thing, I can see it happening in the story of Fates itself but I don't know if I can do it, personally for this story. KamuixHinoka and LeoxCorrin I can see myself doing but as for the rest I am unsure.**

 **Also these are the ages of the siblings at the start of the story. Xander is twenty-one, Camilla is nineteen, Kamui and Corrin are seventeen, Leo is sixteen and Elise is fifthteen. The same ages apply to the Hoshidian siblings and Azura is nineteen also.**

Chapter 3: A Family

* * *

 **Kamui's POV**

Kamui sighed as he mixed a bowl of dough, while his siblings were laughing in the next room. He felt someone touch his shoulder and he smiled. Well almost all of them, he had a little help this time. He turned to smile at his big sister, Camilla. She nodded and added some more sugar into the bowl as he kept mixing the ingridients while she returned to work on something else on her end of the kitchen.

"You're learning well, Kamui. It's nice to have one of my siblings help out every now and then with the baking," Camilla commented as she took out a rolling pin and started flattening out some of the dough she already made. Kamui chuckled slightly and chose not to point out that she was technically helping him out since he was coerced into it. Plus she was doing it in hopes that he would spare her from cutting her hair in her sleep. She was correct of course, out of all of his siblings, Camilla was the one that had the easiest time getting out of his revenge, aside from Elise.

"It helps when you have a good teacher," Kamui said and he really meant it. It all started back when he was eight years old and could barely see over a table. They had servants but sometimes Camilla would cook especially if it was a special occasion. At that age, Kamui was practically glued to her hand similar to how Elise was glued to his. Camilla ended up showing him how to cook food and bake sweets. It stuck with Kamui ever since and unfortunately his twin and Leo liked to try and find ways to goad him into making cheese danishes for them. Elise was always spoiled by the sweets that he made though and he could never refuse her whenever she asked him for them. During his musings though he didn't notice his sister creep up on him and he grunted when Camilla hit his back in a sudden hug.

"You're so cute, Kamui!" Camilla gushed and Kamui grumbled as he tried to hold his grip on the bowl. When she let go of him, he sighed but he wasn't annoyed at her.

"Besides, it's more that the others can't cook…" Kamui added and Camilla covered her mouth to stifle a laugh.

Xander was a master swordsman and a peerless leader and a great older brother but…he wasn't the best at cooking. Don't get them wrong; he could at least make the food edible, just not…good. Leo for all his remarks and studious attitude was horrible at cooking to put it mildly. He gave Elise and Corrin food poisoning and Corrin threw up all over him. Kamui had to sit by their bedsides for It never made sense to Kamui how someone so invested and skilled with hand coordination could cut himself so much. Corrin could cook but the lazy girl would prefer sleeping over actually making something better than good. Elise hadn't started learning just yet since she was always more preoccupied with her games.

"Kamui, they're in the next room," Camilla chided though she didn't do a good job at sounding serious. They both laughed and Camilla ruffled his hair up before she turned back to her work.

"So what are we going to make besides the usual sweets?" Kamui asked as he finished mixing the dough in his bowl and brought it over to his sister. Camilla put the bowl in front of her and started pulling parts out and started clumping them together in the formation for a little pocket in the middle. There were already three other sheets full of them.

Camilla had volunteered rather quickly to help with the cooking after they came back. Though she commanded Kamui to make more than just a few sweets. They were making a lot more than usual, Kamui was wondering what the occasion was.

"We'll be making roast, a turkey and a ham. Then we will be making salads and we'll make sure that our siblings help us eat them. Then whatever else you feel like making," Camilla said cheerfully as she pointed towards the dead turkey and boar in the corner. Kamui nodded silently as he went to the other side of the kitchen and pulled out the cutting board and the knives. He went over to another cupboard and pulled out some spices for the meat and a bag to catch the blood and the parts when he starts cutting the animals. Then he felt someone tug on his cloak. He smiled as he turned to see Elise staring up at him cutely.

"What is it Elise? Is Leo being a bully again?" Kamui asked, half-serious. Leo was a good brother but he could be a bit…mean at times. When they were kids Leo used to make Elise and Corrin cry a lot since they didn't understand that was how he was. To put it lightly, Kamui and Leo didn't exactly get along when they were kids, mainly because of how Leo treated Corrin and Elise. Of course that was all behind them now but Kamui still kept him in check. Camilla and Xander were always busy with studies at the time so Kamui had to be the big sibling sometimes. Little Kamui was a good big brother and put Little Leo in his place whenever he found out that he was making his little sisters cry. Kamui gave him a black eye when Leo broke Elise's favorite doll and he pushed him into mud when Leo messed up Corrin's favorite dress.

It got better though obviously, Leo began to treat their sister's better and actually like them. Thus in turn Kamui and Leo started getting along better. Now Corrin and Leo got along very well to the point that Kamui thought Corrin looked up to him as much as she looked up to Xander. They took jabs at each other but now it was all fun and games.

"If I said yes, would you give me Leo's share of the sweets?" Elise asked cutely and Kamui laughed.

"Now Elise, it's not polite to lie," Camilla pointed out. Though Kamui reached over to one of the jars and pulled out a cookie to give to his little sister, who took it happily. Camilla heard them though since she sighed but she sounded happy.

"You're spoiling her again, Kamui," Camilla chided playfully. Kamui faked being insulted and tilted his head at his big sister.

"Who me? I have no idea what you're talking about. It's not like you don't spoil her yourself, or Corrin," Kamui pointed out. Camilla had a tendency to spoil Kamui, Corrin and Elise. Leo flat out refused to be coddled usually since his pride wouldn't allow it for whatever reason.

"It's because you're all so cute!" Camilla gushed as she pulled both Elise and Kamui into a big hug. Elise took the hug rather happily while Kamui was just thankful that he was too tall to get suffocated by his big sister now. When they all broke apart though Kamui turned back to his little sister.

"So what are you doing here, Elise? I imagine you want something else besides sweets?" Kamui asked. Elise flushed at his question and Kamui chuckled slightly at how cute she looked. She always flushed whenever she wanted to ask him something she considered embarrassing, though to him it usually equaled adorable. Like that time she asked him to give her a piggyback ride to the stables when she was only eleven or when she asked him to fix her teddy bear for her when she was eight.

"Can you and Camilla teach me how to cook?" Elise asked, shyly. Kamui's eyes widened and he shared a look with Camilla but they both smiled before they turned back to the youngest of their family.

"Of course, you can help Camilla with the Danishes and the cake!" Kamui said cheerfully and Camilla nodded happily but then Elise shook her head.

"Um…I want to…uh…" Elise mumbled shyly and Kamui tilted his head.

"What do you want dear?" Camilla asked as she knelt down so that she was at her level. Elise leaned in to Camilla's side and whispered something into her ear and Camilla laughed before she nodded.

"She wants to help you, Kamui," Camilla said happily and Kamui smiled at his blushing little sister.

"Are you sure? I'm going to be skinning and carving the meat. Do you think you can deal with it?" Kamui asked. Those were the same words that Camilla said to him when he started helping her. It was a bit much at first but he got used to it.

"Yes! I want to help you, Big Brother!" Elise said quickly and Kamui chuckled before he nodded.

"Alright then, go put on some gloves so that you don't get sick," Kamui said and his little sister ran off to go get her gloves before he could tell her that there were some in the cupboard.

"Elise cares for you a lot you know?" Camilla asked and Kamui turned to Camilla to see a surprisingly serious expression on her face.

"Well I look out for her like you look out for her, Corrin and I. I was attached to you all the time when I was younger. Elise clings to Corrin too," Kamui said offhanded as he went over and picked up the turkey and carried it over to the bag he set up. Then he placed the knives he was going to use next to the bag. Then he put a large pot filled with water over the fire Camilla started.

"True but you stopped clinging to my hand after you turned eleven. Elise is fifthteen now and she still clings to you. She doesn't cling to Corrin as much now, mainly you," Camilla pointed out and Kamui heard her start putting the pans of dough into the oven.

"What are you trying to tell me?" Kamui asked, cautiously. He didn't exactly like where Camilla was steering the conversation if his assumption was correct.

"Now I know you aren't oblivious or naive enough to actually not understand what's going on. What I am saying is that Elise cares for you as more than her big brother. She sees you as a hero and perhaps more if it keeps up," Camilla explained and Kamui blushed and didn't turn to face her. He never really thought about Elise like that, yes he could see that Elise adored him to the point that people might think it was a crush but he always thought she would want to distance herself from him like Leo did to Camilla. The thought that she would distance herself from him hurt him quite a lot.

"What if she does? I…I don't know how I am supposed to feel about it…" Kamui muttered. He cared for Elise as his little sister just like Corrin. Kamui never said it but he had a feeling that they weren't actually related but he didn't care since he grew up with them. Granted he had shown a bit more leniency towards Elise than his twin but why wouldn't he? She was the youngest and he wanted to protect her, especially after experiencing the messy life of the Norhian line of succession.

"I'm just pointing it, Kamui. You both mean so much to me and I really don't want you to end up hurting each other by accident," Camilla said and right as she finished, Elise ran back in with a pair of her nice riding gloves on.

"I'm back!" she exclaimed. Kamui smiled at her, all previous thoughts stamped out, except for the part on his unknown feelings for Elise.

"That's great Elise but I think you should use different gloves, instead of messing those up," Kamui said as he pulled out a more common pair of gloves from the cupboard. Elise flushed in embarrassment but she took the gloves from him readily and looked up at him expectantly. Regardless of what happened, Elise would always be his precious little sister that he would do anything to protect. If her feelings for him turned into romantic love like Camilla implied…well things would fall in place if they were meant to be. For now he cared more about her as his family and the mission from the king that was hanging over his head.

* * *

 **Corrin's POV**

"I wonder what's taking so long. Usually they're done with the baking by now. Kamui is always done fast and Camilla is helping him," Corrin commented as she sat back in her chair. The dining room in the main palace was a lot more ornate than the one back at the fortress. Corrin preferred the fortress though since it was a lot homier. Maybe it was just the fact that Corrin was there for so long though. Unfortunately they were confined to the palace so Corrin didn't feel a whole lot different as opposed to before. Her twin was probably less than pleased though hopefully the prospect of a mission distracted him.

"Maybe they're eating them without us. You know how Elise can get past their guard," Leo hypothesized and Corrin gave him a "really" look. Xander seemed to be in the same boat since he shook his head. Elise was the youngest of them and it was well known that Kamui had a big soft spot for her, even bigger than the one Camilla had for her. Elise was the easily the sweetest of them all. Corrin wasn't able to resist her cuteness either if she wanted something. She was such a sweet and lighthearted girl in such a desolate looking place. She'd always taken a liking to Corrin and Kamui, especially the latter to the point that she thought Kamui could do no wrong. Corrin giggled at the way Elise was drifting into a sort of hero-worship of her twin. She could understand where she was going though.

"That is unbecoming of you, Leo," Xander said, amused. Leo was still a kid when it came to pastries. He tried to hide his love for the food of course but it never really worked. Corrin always teased him for that since he always tried to be the mature and logical one who was above such things. He'd always fall short as the mature/calculating one in Corrin's eyes though compared to her older siblings.

Xander was the oldest and he sure acted like it at all times, even when they were playing. He was always looking out for them all, even the ones who probably didn't need to be looked after. Corrin really appreciated him, he didn't coddle them, he tried to inspire them to learn things on their own but he would help them along the way. Unlike some of the stories she read when she was younger, Xander chose to help out directly in their training instead of just pushing them on the trainers or teachers. He also never really lost his composure unless something extreme happened. Corrin remembered that she and Kamui actually used to think that he hated them and would always avoid him when they were little kids. Of course they learned he was just like that because he cared. He was always serious because he believed he needed to be there for all of them. Though that tended to get embarrassing…Corrin still remembered how he barged into her room whenever she had a nightmare or slipped in the bath…she flushed bad at those memories.

Camilla was like the perfect cross between an awesome big sister and a mother, at least that's what Corrin thought since she didn't know what having a mother was like or a father for that matter…she didn't consider the king her father either just like her twin, just not to the same degree as Kamui. Camilla had always been there for Corrin when she needed a kind hand, when she was little she was a bit of a crybaby and she was always clinging to her twin or Camilla. Her big sister was always so…caring like she would do anything if they asked her it was scary sometimes. She used to ask them who/what she had to kill/break in order to make them happy. She even taught Corrin how to cook…not that Corrin ever felt like cooking though…

"You really need to control your little desires, Leo," Corrin teased as she poked her brother's arm. He flinched and glared at her before he flushed and opened his book up and started reading though Corrin thought he just did that to get away from the conversation. Leo was always trying to act older than he really was, but to Corrin that honor would always belong to her twin. When they were kids, Kamui had to be the older sibling since Camilla and Xander were always studying or training. Though in Corrin's opinion perhaps he was the true older sibling while Xander and Camilla tried to be the parental figures.

When Corrin was off playing in the courtyard, he was training or studying so that he could protect her or read stories to her. Whenever they wanted to play with him though he'd drop what he was doing, he never complained if they messed with him, usually. When Corrin, Leo or Elise wanted to eat, he learned to cook even though they had servants. If Leo was bullying Corrin or Elise he'd be there to put him in his place. He learned to sew so that he could fix their favorite stuffed animals if they were damaged. If they wanted more dessert, he gave his up for them, even Leo. Kamui was a giver, like Camilla. That was why Corrin cared for him so much, he was always there to help her out, and she could only pray that she could do the same for him.

"It's alright, Leo. I'm sure there will be plenty of treats for you when they're done. I can only assume that they're making more than usual if they're taking this long," Xander explained and Leo brightened up.

Corrin adored Leo despite how it might have looked to people outside. Despite the fact that he was a bit of a snob he was her little brother. Aside from her twin, she liked spending time with Leo the most. Even when they were kids she liked being around him, the same arrogance in his intelligence is what drew her in. He got along with Camilla and Xander well enough back then. It was the younger bunch he had problems with. Leo always bulled Elise and Corrin back then. Corrin remembered that Kamui ended up beating him up for it a few times, always the protective one. He never hurt him badly though, surprisingly.

Leo might not be as mature as he thought he was but he definitely was smart, smarter than Corrin thought could be possible. He wasn't evil as a child though despite what some of their servants might say, he was just acting how he was raised. After all, Leo was raised without any family or parents for a time so all he had were books. He couldn't use a sword or an axe like the rest of them could. He wasn't kept away from them but he was taught separately from them at least in the beginning. It wasn't until he discovered that he could use the tome Brynhildr at ten when he started sharing lessons with the rest of them.

Corrin remembered how he would ask Camilla to help him read more advanced books or when he would actually sit in when Kamui read stories to Elise. Those were the few times he would not be a snob to them when he was a kid. That was why Corrin could never hate him; despite all the bad things he did to her and Elise and how cruel he tended to be to Kamui. She admired his ability to make something for himself despite being kept away from his family for a good portion of his childhood. She never stopped trying to get close to him and it had paid off. Now Leo had no problems with her presence and he had openly showed that he enjoyed it actually. Corrin wouldn't lie if she said that she felt a bit…more than comfortable with Leo now.

"So what are you reading, Leo?" Corrin asked. Leo seemed surprised by the question but he smiled and closed his book and showed her the cover. The title of the book was called "The Grandmaster and The Berserker Rider". The cover of the book had a drawing of a black haired swordsman and a chocolate haired Pegasus rider holding hands as they leveled their weapons at the darkness drawn around them. It was an old book that Corrin and Elise loved.

"It's from Kamui's shelf actually. I…never really sat in whenever he read it to Elise so I decided to ask him if I could borrow it," Leo said shyly, his cheeks flushing a bit. The book wasn't as advanced as most of the books the dark mage read but it had certain flair to it. It was a story based on the journey of an amnesiac found in a field and a clumsy Pegasus Knight. It was an adventure and a romantic story. It was cute in Corrin's eyes since the amnesiac had to compete with a prince to get the Pegasus knight's affections only to claim it in the end. It was a little weird since it also involved their children from the future coming but the plot was good regardless. Better than those things Camilla liked anyway… Too bad it was completely made up though. Corrin had checked and she had never found any mention of the two in history before.

"That's odd. I thought you were above fairy tales?" Corrin teased and Leo flushed again before he glared at her again.

"Well…I…" Leo stuttered to find a correct answer and Corrin wrapped her arm around him and pulled him into a hug.

"It's ok, I know you just want to experience some childish things," Corrin teased and Leo grumbled but she noticed him smile and not push her away.

"So how far into the story are you?" Corrin asked as she leaned her head onto his shoulder casually. Leo shifted in his seat and Corrin heard Xander chuckle as the dark knight readjusted his book.

"I'm still in the beginning chapters after Edge met the Shepherds," Leo answered evenly and Corrin resisted the urge to giggle when she felt him wrap his arm around her. It was different from when her twin or Camilla would do that. It felt a little…warmer?

"Food's ready!" Elise shouted as the door to the kitchen burst open. Corrin and Leo both jumped while Xander just gaped. Corrin blinked for a few moments until she saw what her big brother was surprised about. Elise's dress was covered in blood! There was an embarrassed looking Kamui and Camilla behind her, both holding multiple platters of food. Wait…multiple? Food? The aroma of turkey, boar, mashed potatoes and stuffing hit Corrin's nose like a hammer. She also spotted all her favorite desserts in her twin's arms.

"Elise what happened?!" Xander shouted and Corrin shook out of her food induced state and returned to her little sister's condition. Elise looked down at her dress and scratched her head, nervously before she giggled.

"Um…well I was helping Kamui carve the boar and I guess I got hit by the blood…" Elise said slowly. Corrin looked up at her twin who just shrugged.

"She insisted that she help me out," Kamui answered and then Leo stood from the table abruptly and pointed an accusing finger at Elise. Corrin flinched and followed his finger and her eyes widened when she saw Elise holding one of the Danishes Leo loved in her hand and it was half eaten.

"I knew it! You were sneaking in to get the sweets before the rest of us could!" Leo accused and Corrin deadpanned. Elise just smiled sweetly and took another bite out of the cheese Danish and stuck her tongue out at him. Kamui sighed and the next moment Leo was pelted by one of the sweets he desired so much.

"Happy?" Kamui asked cheekily and Elise covered her mouth to hide her giggles while everyone else held their breath. Leo glared for a few moments before he picked up the Danish he got pelted with and then his frown broke into a smile and he laughed, actually laughed, not chuckles or small chortles, a full blown laugh of joy. That set the entire room off, the entire room was filled with laughter from the ever stoic Xander to the carefree Elise. At this moment they weren't royalty or soldiers/commanders, they were a family.

"Excellent as always, brother!" Leo said cheerfully as he took a bite out of the Danish as Kamui and Camilla set the food on the table.

"Of course, did you expect anything less?" Kamui asked as he took his seat. Elise claimed the seat right next to him and Camilla chose the other side.

"A fine, meal. What's the occasion?" Xander asked as he looked over the feast prepared for them. It was literally all of Corrin's favorites.

"Oh, I thought it was fitting since our little Kamui and Corrin are finally out of the fortress," Camilla responded though Corrin could hear the slight tremor in her voice. Camilla probably wanted to say that they weren't going to be together like that very soon. So this was a happy memory to carry just in case.

"Well let's hurry up and dig in then!" Corrin boasted happily. She'd cherish memories like this always; she might not be able to remember anything past the age of six but that didn't matter anymore. Not when she had new memories like these…

* * *

 **Happy Thanksgiving everyone!**


	5. Mission

I don't own Fire Emblem

 **Thank you for the reviews again! So I got a question and I think I should share the answer with all of you. I do have some plans for the pairings and/or polygamous relationships of the twins. I have a few that I really like, Hinoka and Kagero being two of them. I have to agree with my namless guest that I am having a harder time narrowing down who I prefer in Fates as opposed to Awakening. I do have a personal favorite one that I picked in my main playthrough that I feel like would fit with Kamui but we'll see. I wonder if you guys can pick her out. Nothing is really concrete yet. I want to let the plot flow first and I'll throw some teases in to try and get a feel. I'm happy to see people that are so passionate about their pairings though. No one has said anything about this yet but I'm getting this off the table now. I am not going to put either of the twins with any of the children in this story. Sorry, if anyone reading this doesn't like that.**

 **On another note I'm happy you guys liked the chapter focused on the family. Just to reiterate a point, Corrin can cook but she doesn't like to and poor Kamui is at the mercy of cute Elise so he ends up doing it. I really see Nohr and Hoshido like this. One is a kingdom run by evil but you have the people you've known for most of your life there, while the other one is a good kingdom with the family you don't really know. Don't worry I have heartbreak and angst planned, no one in either family is walking away from the crossroad without feeling like crap. Wow that makes me sound sadistic. Anyway I have big plans for introducing the Hoshido family to the twins, one that I find quite funny but fitting for the personas I've given them. You guys will just have to wait and see.**

 **Also someone mentioned that I was making Kamui appear a bit more vicious than he is in the game. That was intentional, he's not 'vicious' exactly, he's just willing to do what he has to in order to survive and keep his family safe, similar to the Birthright personality. It's just that he isn't exactly afraid to use his fangs if he has to. Corrin is the one who's a bit more in line with Conquest's "I won't kill anyone ever" persona. Both personalities are going to cause issues down the line.**

 **Before I forget, someone pointed out my little reference to Awakening, unfortunately that was a story I never quite got to but in the future who knows. Anyway time to take a little dive from the carefree atmosphere at least for a little bit. Time for some feels!**

Chapter 4: Mission

* * *

 **Kamui's POV**

Kamui felt his heartbeat quicken more than he'd like as he and his siblings waited outside the king's throne room. They were summoned that morning after the lazier ones barely woke up. It appeared the King had their mission ready for them…or a punishment; Kamui inwardly shuddered at that thought, his arm burned at the memories. If it was punishment he would have to find a way to direct all the blame on himself. He couldn't bear the idea of his twin suffering through whatever cruelty the king had stewing in his mind.

"Kamui?" the silver clad prince jumped slightly and turned to see the worried eyes of Camilla staring back at him. He winced inwardly since he tuned out of present time in front of his family. Thankfully the others weren't paying attention to him at the moment.

Corrin was sitting off to the side with Leo, both of them were having a bad case of staying up late and eating one too many cakes/sweets. Xander and Elise were busy trying to clean them up so that they looked presentable, especially Corrin, who looked like she'd been through one of Xander's four in the morning exercises. Leo didn't look much better but it made Kamui smile, seeing him in that state though, his little brother was always so uptight. It was good that he was able to cut back for once, something they all needed actually. Now wasn't the time for being laid back though, it was time to return to business.

"Sorry, Camilla. I was just thinking about some things. What is it?" Kamui asked. His sister continued staring at him worriedly before she sighed and nodded towards the doors.

"I was trying to ask what do you think Father has planned for you but I think I have an idea of your thoughts now," Camilla said worriedly as she touched his arm. Kamui winced and turned his gaze away from her, of course she knew. After all she was the one who took care of him, even after their "father's" punishments. That worked both ways though.

"I just want to be prepared in case something goes wrong. Besides, I can tell you're probably even more worried than I am," Kamui defended and Camilla frowned before she hugged him. Kamui didn't flinch and just accepted the gesture and even leaned his head against hers. It was still…strange but nice holding her like that, he remembered when he was the one who would lean his head on her but now it was the other way around since he was taller now.

"Big Brother, Big Sister. Corrin says she isn't feeling well," Kamui pulled away from the comforting warmth of his big sister to see Elise linking her fingers together worriedly. Kamui looked to his twin who was looking a bit green. She was kneeling over with her hand over her mouth. Leo was shuddering against the wall as Xander kept him upright. Kamui sighed as he went over towards his twin.

"How are you feeling sis?" Kamui asked as he knelt down next to his twin and started rubbing her back. Camilla knelt on her other side and started rubbing her back too. Corrin shuddered a bit and Camilla pulled her hair back just in case while Kamui started pouring his healing magic into her to try and sooth her. Corrin sighed contently as she settled back against the wall.

"Maybe next time you won't eat that last piece of cake?" Kamui suggested teasingly as his twin groaned. Kamui was a little surprised though, he and Camilla made sure they didn't make too much since they'd seen Corrin and Leo eat so much more than they did the night before. So why were they feeling sick? Was one of the cakes they ate made from expired ingredients? No that could not be right, they checked.

"But it's so good! You guys don't cook that often!" Corrin whined rather cutely. Camilla pulled her into an embrace like she was a toddler again.

"You can have as much as you want when you get back Little Corrin. You and your brother are going to get a mission from Father soon, just hold off until then," Camilla cooed until Corrin fidgeted out of her grasp.

"Really?!" Corrin asked, excitedly and Kamui flinched before Leo stood up too and then he high-fived Corrin, making Kamui glare. Those sneaky little… Camilla looked a little hurt while Xander just sighed and Elise giggled. The snow haired prince grabbed his sister and brother by their heads and crashed them together just hard enough to sting.

"OW!" they both cried out as they rubbed their foreheads. Kamui glared at them both and they wilted at his gaze.

"That wasn't nice…" Kamui said slowly. Then all of a sudden Camilla grabbed the two offenders and pulled them into a rough hug.

"That was so hurtful! You would actually take advantage of me!" Camilla cried as she squished the two against her chest. They both squirmed to free themselves as Camilla took her little revenge. Kamui laughed at their antics, it was good to see Leo's mood hadn't left with the feast, he still deserved the little punishment but it was good to see. Kamui held his hand out to Elise and she took it happily while Xander just shook his head but he was smiling.

"How much longer until we're called inside, Xander?" Kamui asked. His older brother shrugged and nodded towards the door.

"I was not informed how long we had to wait, just that we had to be outside and wait to be summoned. We probably didn't need to be here so early but after what happened yesterday, it was probably for the best…" Xander explained and Kamui nodded. The ninja and oni flashed through his mind again, specifically the words the oni said to him before they set her free were still burned into his mind. She sounded so sure of herself, he doubted she would actually sneak back into the castle but maybe…during their mission he would see her again. Well, he beat her once he could do it again. Yet he couldn't shake the strange feeling that something was amiss. Before he could lose himself further in his thoughts, the doors to the throne room opened up. Camilla dropped Leo and Corrin, who straightened up in line with everyone else rather quickly but Elise didn't let go of Kamui's hand.

"Ah you are all here, very good…" Kamui felt his skin crawl at the rather…slimy voice that spoke. He didn't recognize the voice but apparently his siblings did, except for his twin.

"Iago…" Xander greeted stoically. Kamui recognized the name, the King's right hand man, one of his lead generals/tacticians. Iago sounded like a bit of a creep though and the way he looked didn't help either. He was a relatively short statured man, being only Leo and Corrin's height. He wore an ornate version of sorcerer robes almost being as fancy as the king's attire. They were black of course like most attire worn by Nohrians, only Corrin's was different really. He had long black hair, a somewhat pale complexion and one auburn/red eye, only one because half a golden mask hid the other one. Even though he should have only been a bit above Xander's age he looked older like the King did for some reason. The last thing that made Kamui feel uncomfortable was the little sneer the man's lips were twisted into.

"Prince Xander, how wonderful to see you again and you brought the whole family this time. I have to say it is wonderful to see you all again, especially you, Lady Camilla…" Iago greeted as his eyes flowed over all of them before they stayed on Camilla.

Kamui felt his blood boil when he saw the way Iago stared at Camilla; he'd seen some of his trainers do that over the years. Sure he was too young to understand the implication but he knew enough to know that they didn't have anything his sister would enjoy in mind. Even Corrin and rare times, Elise got that look over the more recent years. He'd also heard them talk about what they wanted to do to them if they had the chance. Needless to say Kamui wanted to throttle those men! They were his sisters, they were kind and loving and they deserved to be treated as such! Gunter and Xander told him the phrase "piece of meat" to describe how those men looked at them. He could sense his twin was feeling the same anger as he was.

"Yes…how lovely to see you again, Iago…" Camilla said in a monotone voice. Kamui felt her hand latch onto his free hand and squeeze it gently, probably to try to calm him down or perhaps to seek out comfort herself, probably both. Elise squeezed his hand tightly as well. Kamui saw Leo do something similar to Corrin. Then Iago's eyes flowed away from Camilla.

"So these are the twins. I must say that it feels like only yesterday that these two were brought here as mere children. It is good to see that they have grown so well," Iago said with fake kindness that Kamui saw through right away, it was like he wasn't even trying to fake it. He felt disgusted when Iago's eyes trailed up and down Corrin, not so subtlety. Unfortunately Corrin noticed and flinched a bit and took a step back and thankfully Leo stepped in front of her protectively.

Kamui felt his blood boil at the sight; he found himself disliking this man even more. He felt Camilla squeeze his hand harder, whether it was to calm him or herself down he wasn't sure since he could tell she was holding herself back too. If Kamui's hands were free he would have even reached for his sword to scare the lecherous man off. Thankfully Xander had something just as effective.

"Eyes to yourself…Iago…" Xander said stoically but powerfully as he stepped in front of all of them. Iago's eye narrowed at the Crown Prince for a moment before it defused into an easy going smile.

"Of course, Prince Xander…I was merely complimenting the young princesses. I shall take my leave now; I pray that our twins succeed in their first outing. The king is waiting for you," Iago said as he bowed and left down the hallway. Kamui glared at his back as he left and it wasn't until he rounded the corner that anyone spoke.

"Disgusting…" Leo muttered.

"Very…" Xander added. Kamui pulled Elise into a small hug while Camilla moved from his side to hug Corrin.

"Are you ok, Dear?" Camilla asked worriedly. Kamui turned towards his twin worriedly to see that she was clutching her own hand tightly, she was shaking. Kamui smiled though when he saw a few wisps of wind around her.

"The man is harmless if you show your fangs, most men like him are like that. They're cowards at heart," Camilla said soothingly as she rubbed Corrin's back. Kamui frowned and shook his head.

"Don't worry, you're much stronger than him, Corrin. If he tries anything you can show him who he's messing with," Leo said supportively as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah! You can beat up that big bully!" Elise added happily. Corrin smiled at that phrase, Elise really was a little light in the darkness.

"Don't worry, Corrin. I'll be there for you," Kamui added and his twin's eyes locked on his and he could see the happiness light up fully. They'd been together since the beginning why would they stop now? They were the perfect team. The king saw fit to keep them together as well.

"We should go inside before Father gets angry," Xander cut in. The mood was cut down along with the conversation unfortunately. At least the atmosphere Iago put on them was gone though. Together they all stepped into the throne room and just like the day prior, it was desolate and the only one in the room was the king. He looked the same as before if a little more aloof.

"Kamui, Corrin…good you are here," Garon spoke, completely disregarding the rest of their siblings. Kamui resisted the urge to glare at him for disrespecting his family like that. He would never call that man a part of his family, he never was. He gave him his siblings but he never gave him anything else aside from things he could do without.

"Hello, Father," Kamui said respectfully like he was in a play. They all bowed like they did before and rose when he held his hand up.

"As I said before, I would have a mission for you. That time is now. You have proven your metal in combat, now you will prove yourselves as active agents of my will," Garon spoke.

"We are ready to be of service, Father," Corrin said gratefully. One good thing that would come out of this was their freedom, hopefully.

"As you know we are at war with Hoshido, however recent events have put a ceasefire of sorts or a pause to the war. There is an outpost near the border of our kingdoms. I want you two to go there and observe the situation and return here," Garon explained. Kamui felt a tug in the back of his mind telling him that it wasn't so simple and he could tell that his siblings believed that as well.

"Is that all?" Kamui asked.

"Not quite, your siblings will be required to remain here and they will not aid you whatsoever but do not fret. I will not be sending you into the maws of the world unaided. Your servants that accompanied you here will accompany you along with another soldier that I have picked out myself," Garon explained as he stood from his throne. Well that was good, so it wasn't like he was throwing them to the wolves exactly. Perhaps the king did think they were too valuable to dispose of after all.

"Who, Father?" Kamui asked, respectfully.

"Hans! Show yourself!" Garon barked. Kamui turned to the sound of shuffling behind the king's throne to see a rather burly looking man walk out from behind it. Kamui felt a shudder go through him when he got a good look at the man.

"Milords and Ladies…" Hans said stoically. He was a tall man without a doubt, standing at least at the height of Xander, which was six foot three or so. He was dressed in relatively light armor, which sort of showed off his rather boisterous physique that made Xander look small in comparison. He was bald with a light beard under his chin. His face was monotone/serious but it was his eyes that bugged Kamui a lot. Whenever he was learning battle tactics or how to read people, Xander and Camilla told him that intentions often leaked into the eyes. Actions were one of the other ways to tell. That was how Kamui always knew when Corrin was going to pull something during a chess match, why Kamui had always sought to learn to keep his intentions from leaking into his eyes. Except that was just it, Kamui couldn't get a read on Hans, his eyes were calm and calculating like he hadn't done anything. The scars present on his arms spoke differently though.

"This is he?" Kamui asked respectfully.

"Yes, fear not. Hans is a capable warrior and soldier, he will serve you loyally and faithfully as your servants will," Garon spoke and Hans walked up and bowed to them, respectfully. Kamui shared a quick look with his twin before they turned to the barbarian berserker.

"Shall I go prepare the horses with the servants, Milord and Lady?" Hans asked respectfully, an easy going smile filling his face. Kamui nearly froze though at the action. The words were fine and the voice was even convincing but…a certain light flickered across his eyes, similar to Iago, except Hans was actively trying to hide it. Kamui wasn't sure though, it was just a moment and he didn't sense the same anxiety from his siblings except for Xander but he was always anxious in the presence of the king. Perhaps Kamui was just getting too paranoid, it wasn't fair to judge someone like that. After all maybe he was trying to atone for something he did in the past.

"Yes, please do Hans. Gunter, Felica and Jakob should be in the stables by now since they always tend to our brother's horse and our sister's wyvern," Kamui said calmly. Hans gave another bow before he made his way out of the room. Kamui was never more thankful to be away from someone, even the King.

"Say your goodbyes, you leave before the sun sets and I expect you to return within a week…Xander, the rest of you will report to Iago for your own assignments after you all depart from this room. You will not be coddling the two all the way to the exit," Garon commanded. Kamui flinched slightly; he practically forgot the king was still there since he was so focused on Hans.

"Of course, Father," Kamui said respectfully as he nudged his twin to bow with him. Their "father" simply scoffed before he left the throne room the same way he did the day before. Kamui and Corrin both let out a sigh as soon as their "father" was gone. They'd never had such a stressful meeting before and it wasn't even the king that unnerved them that time. And it was only a simple mission, what was it going to be like when they got something more serious?

"So…I guess this is it for now then?" Corrin asked as the twins both turned to their siblings. All of them just stood there for a few moments as the world set in on all of them. It felt unreal; Kamui never thought something like this would happen.

Surprisingly it wasn't Elise who hugged them first, she actually let go of Kamui's hand. Leo was the one who moved in first. He pulled them both into a hug, surprising them. The twins recovered quickly though and hugged their little brother for all they were worth. Kamui smiled though as he hugged Leo with his twin, years ago Leo would have had to be forced to hug him. Now though Leo was the one initiating the affection, things really had worked out for the better. Kamui felt a little jealous that Leo was nicer to Corrin than him but he swallowed that issue. It was a consequence of being the one who had to play disciplinary when the older ones weren't around.

"Hey, we'll be back, Leo," Corrin said as Leo pulled back from the hug, a look of regret crossing his face.

"I'm sorry…for everything, I-" Kamui flicked his forehead, making his yelp.

"Save it for later…we're not going to die, Little Brother…" Kamui said seriously, the last thing they needed was to feel like they were being sent off to die or that they would not see each other again. Leo grumbled for a bit before he smiled.

"Of course, you both have the devil's luck. Well…I know you will be fine, it's this one I'm worried about!" Leo said rather playfully as he snagged Corrin by her neck and in a surprising show of sibling fun he ran his hand into her hair. Corrin started laughing almost right away as she squirmed around to get free. Though Kamui could see Leo's eyes filling up with tears.

It made Kamui's heart ache; they'd always been together with their siblings or at least some of them. Xander and Camilla would take leaves every now and then but Leo and Elise were almost always around. They always had at least one of them around. This was going to be the first time Kamui and Corrin were going to be away from all of them. Well that wasn't completely true, Kamui remembered when he had actually been truly separated from all of them, even his twin, and it was not pleasant to say the least.

During Kamui's musings, he felt Camilla touch his shoulder and he immediately wrapped his arms around his big sister before she could do the same to him. She jolted at his sudden move but she laughed and hugged him. He tightened his hold on her to try and show all his appreciation for her; she'd always been there for him and his twin. He was proud whenever people said he picked up her tendency to be protective, dare he say he looked up to her more than Xander perhaps. She is the one who taught him all of his general skills aside from swordsmanship.

"Stay safe, won't you?" Camilla asked warmly, Kamui buried his head into her hair gently, feeling his eyes grow moist. He refused to cry, this wasn't permanent, he would see them again. So…why did he feel like he was saying goodbye to them for good?

"Of course I will…" Kamui stated as he pulled back a bit. Camilla smiled brightly and touched his face gently.

"It's ok to be sad Little Kamui. It's never nice to say goodbye to the ones you love," Camilla said sadly. Kamui leaned into her hand a little as he took comfort in his big sister's touch. He felt his heart calm and his eyes dry up.

"You've grown so strong, both you and Corrin. I know you'll do just fine," Camilla said cheerfully. Kamui nodded and Camilla pulled him down so she could kiss the top of his head like she always did when he was a kid. Normally he would have been fine with that but he felt like he should do more for this parting.

"I know you'll bring yourself and your sister back to us safe and sound," Camilla said as they parted and almost immediately the Malig Knight had to catch a rather tearful Corrin who had a bawling Elise clinging to her. Kamui was about to go try and console his little sister since she was making Corrin feel bad but before he could, he felt Xander catch his arm, fast. Suddenly he was face to face with his big brother who was looking over him worriedly.

"Kamui, remember all your techniques and lessons on this journey. They could save your life when you least expect it," Xander said quickly and Kamui nodded.

"Of course I do, Corrin does also," Kamui said, speaking for himself and his twin. Xander nodded before he looked towards the doors of the throne room then back to Kamui.

"Remember not to overuse your powers. You will both exhaust yourselves if you use them too much. It is your natural abilities that will win you the day in the end," Xander said next and Kamui smiled at him and hugged him. Xander was always so serious and intense, he pushed himself so hard because he was the oldest and he had taken it upon himself to try and bear the burden of royalty by himself practically. It took Kamui and Corrin some time to realize that it was his way of showing he cared.

"I'll be fine, Xander…I'll keep Corrin safe and she'll keep me safe…" Kamui said softly. Xander returned the hug stiffly before he pulled him back.

"Be careful with that man, Hans is a dangerous man…" Xander said seriously. That brought Kamui to a pause and he tilted his head, questioningly at his brother.

"What do you mean?" he asked. The sobs from his sister's made him want to turn back to them but he knew his brother's words were important. Xander leaned over slightly and spoke quietly.

"I didn't say anything since I didn't want to upset Elise and the others further but I know you will handle it tactfully. That man is or was a criminal. He was charged with murder, robbery and rape a few years ago. I know this because I was the one who threw him into the dungeons in the first place. It has been some time and Father believes he has changed but you never know…just keep your eyes on him…some men aren't as…upfront with their intentions as Iago…" Xander whispered. Kamui nodded slowly at his brother's words and Xander patted his shoulders and gave him a firm shake.

"I know you'll do just fine out there," Xander said simply before he nodded behind him. Kamui turned around just in time to catch a sobbing Elise. She wrapped her arms around his neck tightly and buried her head into his chest. Kamui wrapped one arm around her to support her and used the other to comb his hand through her blonde hair to try and calm her. He saw Camilla and Corrin give him sad smiles before Xander passed him to give his farewell to Corrin, who tackled him just like Elise did to Kamui, minus the sobbing.

"Hey…I'll be fine, Elise. There's no need to be sad. Shh…it's ok…" Kamui soothed as he held his little sister. He rocked her a little like he used to do when they were younger and Elise's sobs stopped after a bit. She pulled back a bit but she kept her face tilted down and her hair covered her eyes but he could see the tears still falling down her cheeks.

"Do you promise you'll come back?" she asked softly. Kamui's eyes widened but he smiled and kissed the top of her head like Camilla did to him.

"Of course! I promise that we'll see each other again!" Kamui boasted confidently. Elise's lips twisted into a sweet smile and she lifted her face up to him. Her purple eyes were red and puffy and she was still crying but she still smiled at him sweetly.

"Good!" she leaned in and kissed his cheek, making his cheeks flush then she wormed out of his hold and ran out of the room before he could stop her. He stared after her and placed a hand on the spot where she kissed him. He blinked a few times and then he heard some snickers and immediately his eyes narrowed as he rounded on Leo and Corrin, who immediately shut up. He sighed and dropped his anger though since they were supposed to leave on a good note.

"Let's go before we can't bare it…" Kamui sighed as he nodded towards the exit. Corrin nodded slowly before they said their final goodbyes for now and made their way out of the room and headed towards he stables. The whole way though, Kamui couldn't shake a feeling.

"Why does it feel like I'm actually saying goodbye for a long time…"

* * *

 **Corrin's POV**

"So where are we going anyway? I know we're going to check out a base at the border but where is the border exactly?" Corrin asked as their small band rode their horses through the rather desolate fields. Corrin liked it a little dark so that she could sleep easier but not quite like that. There wasn't anything growing and the gloom only made it that much more creepy.

"The Bottomless Canyon. It is the natural barrier in between Nohr and Hoshido by land. There are other ways to get between the kingdoms through the sea but this path is much more straightforward and direct," Gunter answered as he turned to her while they rode. Kamui and Corrin rode near the center while Hans was leading them a few paces ahead. Gunter, Felica and Jakob all took up positions around them.

One thing that had been a little weird to Corrin though was that Felica and Jakob had been a little more attentive to her than usual. By that, she meant that the two were just always around her, or at least one of them was. Gunter had been sticking by Kamui a lot more than usual too. It felt like they were about to get jumped at any moment. It made Corrin nervous; they were still in Nohr so why were they being so cautious with them? She kept looking at her twin to talk to him but he seemed preoccupied during the whole trip.

Kamui was tense to put it mildly. He was always scanning the area and his hand rarely left his sword. She'd only seem him this tense when they were in the presence of their "father" or when he was training. Even then those times didn't last long usually and he was able to switch to his usual teasing self when he felt like it. He stayed serious though; Kamui was always the more cautious one whereas Corrin was the more easygoing one. It had been that way for a long time, though it didn't really take off quite hard until they were around ten. It wasn't so much that Corrin just changed but Kamui did, Corrin still wasn't sure why, perhaps he just decided he wanted to take his duty of watching the younger ones more seriously. They both had their uses though and Corrin would smack anyone who thought her twin was a stuck-up jerk. If he felt like he needed to keep his guard up then Corrin felt worried. It was also eerie how similar he looked to Xander when he was tense. Then again perhaps most soldiers were like that.

Maybe he just missed Xander and the others. Corrin could relate she was practically in tears when they said their goodbyes to their siblings. Corrin basically broke down when she said goodbye to Elise and Leo. Their little brother finally decided to actually say goodbye to them, it was unfair, Corrin wanted to spend more time with that Leo. She'd been working for years to get that side of him out. Except now she had to part with him the moment he finally brought that part of him out.

"We'll be right in the middle of the canyon soon, you can probably see the bridge from here…" Jakob said slowly. Corrin looked forward and indeed she could make out the shape of a wooden rope bridge. Corrin felt her nerves build up as they got closer to the bridge but thankfully they died down as their horses made their way across the bridge and the thing held steady thankfully. Corrin looked over the edge from her horse and she shivered when she couldn't see the bottom…at all.

"No worries, Lady Corrin. The finest craftsmen of Nohr and Hoshido worked on these bridges…about the only thing the two kingdoms could agree on actually," Felica assured. It certainly made Corrin feel better, though she'd prefer to talk to her twin.

"So how does the Ganglari feel, sis?" Kamui asked as if reading her thoughts. Corrin turned to her twin to see him looking at her, expectantly. He wasn't smiling but his eyes held the usual light she was accustomed to. How ironic he felt safe when they were above a bottomless drop…

"It feels good, great actually. I always preferred the heavier swords since I don't have the natural stopping power like you and the others," Corrin said as she patted her new sword. The blade had already served her well, even though she used it to cause pain…

"How about yours? You seemed to be faster than usual," Corrin asked quickly. Kamui tilted his head at her, obviously sensing her distress.

One thing about her twin was that while he was great at being there for her, sometimes it was frustrating how good he was at it. The annoying part was that while he could often tell how she was feeling, she couldn't do the same to him if he didn't want her to. He had an interesting way of being warm like Camilla one moment and then being cold like ice the next. She'd seen his colder personality when they were fighting the ninja and the oni. He took them all down with little to no outward reaction and he had even threatened the oni when she refused to stay down. Still…he wasn't always infallible; sometimes he would break his cold persona like when they were told to kill the prisoners.

"The weight is perfect but the blade feels off still when I think about it," Kamui replied as he smoothed out his horse's main when it huffed.

"What do you mean?" Corrin asked. Her twin just shrugged.

"It's hard to say, I just feel like the sword's shape isn't right for me, it's closer to what I need, I think. But I just have this feeling," Kamui answered with a sigh. Corrin was going to ask another question but Gunter stopped them when they got off the bridge. They arrived at a mass of land that was roughly in the center of the canyon.

"We're almost there. The outpost we are supposed to observe is just on the other side. Be mindful though, we are on the border right now," Gunter advised. Corrin looked across the other bridge and saw the small base. It was made out of stone and looked a little rundown; did they really have to go see if anyone was there? It looked deserted already.

"Right, well we didn't come here to fight. We came here to scout the area out," Kamui said as he pointed towards the other bridge. Before they could move too far though, Corrin heard the sound of whistling air like something wa-

"Ah!" there were a few thumps followed by Corrin's horse crying out before falling over. Corrin yelped as she fell over and cried out when they hit the ground since her leg was caught under her horse.

"Get down!" Gunter shouted. There were more sounds of snapping air followed by thunks and horse cries. Corrin bit back her pain and looked up at her twin just in time to see him phase off his horse just as it got pelted by…shuriken. She raised her hand out to him and when his eyes landed on her they widened in distress.

"Corrin!" Kamui rushed to her side and grabbed her hand.

"My leg's stuck!" Corrin cried out as she tried to move but it just hurt her more. She might have been able to push the horse off herself but she couldn't get a good grip or leverage to do it in that position.

"Lady Corrin!" Felica shouted. Corrin turned her gaze back to see Jakob and Felica rush over to them.

"Quick get the horse off! Gunter, cover!" Kamui ordered. Felica and Jakob both grabbed the dead horse and Kamui grabbed Corrin under her arms. Corrin covered her face when Gunter rushed in front of them and she heard something clash against his shield.

"Quickly!" Gunter shouted. Corrin gasped when Felica and Jakob lifted/pulled the horse off her and her twin yanked her out from under it. Her leg felt like it was burning but it was better than when it was stuck under the horse.

"Hang on Corrin!" Kamui shouted as he set her down as he pointed his hand at her injured leg and started pouring his healing magic into it. Felica and Jakob both rushed up with their healing staves and started healing her leg as well. Corrin sighed in relief when the pain in her leg basically vanished due to the combined healing from her brother and their servants.

"Thanks!" Corrin said gratefully as Kamui helped her onto her feet. Then she drew her sword along with her twin. Felica and Jakob pulled out simple daggers but with the ease they carried them, dismissed any misgivings Corrin had with those two fighting.

"Nohrians!" Corrin saw a few men and woman standing in front of them. They were all dressed similarly to the ninja, Kaze that she met. They all held shuriken or daggers in their hands and they looked anything but friendly. Gunter moved in front of them, his spear and shield posed at the ready.

"Hoshidians…I suppose this answers whether or not the base is manned…" Gunter spoke. Corrin realized they were missing someone though and she looked around for Hans but she didn't see him anywhere.

"Nohrians your presence here is in violation of the ceasefire! Leave now or else we will attack and take this as a declaration of war!" one of the ninja's shouted.

"We should go, we weren't sent here to fight, just find out the status of the base, we have it!" Corrin said to her brother, quickly.

"Agreed. We're pulling back! Come on!" Kamui ordered. Except before they could do anything, there was a loud war cry.

"Die Hoshidian dogs!" a rather maniacal voice screamed. Corrin's eyes widened when she saw Hans charge in from the side. The ninja's were caught off guard and unfortunately for them the Berserker managed to cut down a few of them with his axe before they scrambled.

"Kill the Nohrians!" one of the ninjas shouted. Corrin fired off a gust of wind to stop a hail of shuriken thrown at them.

"Damn it! What's that lunatic doing!?" Gunter shouted as he moved in front of them to shield them again. Corrin saw Hans laugh manically as he hacked down the Hoshidians before one of the shuriken hit his arm. His maniacal smile turned into a frown almost right away as he pulled the thing out of his arm. His eyes landed on her and he gave her a rather…inappropriate look, like Iago did earlier. Corrin nearly shuddered at the gaze before Hans broke off and ran away.

"Hans! Darn it! That bastard!" Kamui cursed as he used his sword to bat some of the incoming shuriken away.

"Milord! We must move down further otherwise we will be sitting ducks!" Gunter shouted. Corrin looked back towards the bridge they came from only to see Hoshido ninjas and soldiers forming up there. Then a ninja suddenly jumped above him, but in a sharp move, the great knight impaled the ninja with his spear. Corrin wanted to scream but she held herself back since this was a battle they were in the middle of.

"Move it! We'll have to find a way out further down!" Kamui ordered everyone as he made a dash further down the path. A ninja sprung at him but he deflected their dagger with his blade deftly and in a movement Corrin barely caught, he severed the ninja's head from his shoulders. Corrin's eyes widened at the sight of her twin…effortlessly killing someone. Then she gasped when someone tackled her to the ground and covered her head. She heard something soar over her head followed by the sounds of clashing blades and cries of pain.

"Milady! Please! We have to fight to survive!" Felica shouted as she shook her. Corrin shakily got to her feet with Felica's help, barely keeping the grip on her sword. She saw her twin fighting off Hoshido ninjas and soldiers, not even flinching as he cut them down one after another. Meanwhile she saw Gunter bowl over a couple of them himself or impale them with his spear. Then she turned her head and saw one of the soldiers rushing right for her.

"Milady!" Felica shouted as she pushed herself in front of her. She deflected the sword with her dagger before she elbowed the man in the face, stunning him. Then she flipped the dagger into her other hand and stabbed the man in the chest and the throat in rapid movements before she kicked him down. The Hoshidian clutched at his throat as blood seeped through his hands. Then a dagger soared past Felica right into another Hoshidians neck. Then Jakob rushed forward and yanked the dagger out of the man's neck before he caught one of the soldiers by their arm and flipped them onto their backs before he drove his dagger into his neck.

"Corrin!" Corrin shifted her gaze back to her brother. His sword was covered in blood already, a number of corpses already piling around him. She thought he was angry with her but he was staring behind her. Corrin turned around only to gasp as a Hoshidan swung their blade at her head.

"Ah!" Corrin lifted her blade up and deflected the sword and on instinct she slashed the man across his chest. He clutched his wound as he stumbled away from her. Corrin's eyes widened at her own actions but before she could fathom it further another soldier came at her. Corrin deflected the strike with her sword easily and slashed the arm with the sword before she cut across the soldier's chest, careful not to go too deep. She took a shaky breath as she got herself under control, she needed to do this to survive and protect her family…she wanted to see her family again, she wanted to see Leo again. She wouldn't kill if she could help it though. She was broken out of her stupor when another Hoshidian charged right for her.

"Corrin, duck!" Corrin, still on instinct dropped to a crouch. She heard something soar over her head followed by a gasping sound. Corrin looked up to see her brother's sword lodged in the Hoshidians chest. The woman gasped as she stared down at the sword lodged in her chest, blood already pooling from the wound. Then in a flash Kamui appeared with his hand around the blade. He took the curved sword from the Hoshidian and ripped Saisho from her chest, making her fall to the ground unmoving. Then he flicked the new sword in his hand and took a stance Corrin wasn't familiar with.

"Corrin, you good?!" Kamui shouted. Corrin shook her head and stood up, coming to stand next to her twin, her blade raised.

"I've been better…" she mumbled. Kamui frowned before he moved forward and in movements she'd never seen him do before he hacked Hoshidian after Hoshidian down with the two blades he held. Corrin heard someone approaching behind her though and she called on her magic and twisted around and fired off a strong gust of wind, sending the ninja flying.

"We've been cut off!" Gunter shouted as he stabbed his spear down into a Hoshidian and literally lifted him by his spear and threw him into another enemy. Except he was being pushed back, there wasn't much room for his horse to run now. Felica and Jakob were doing well enough though they were constantly backing up to avoid getting hit. Corrin looked all around them only to see Hoshidians in front and behind her, they were stuck…

"What do we do?!" Corrin shouted as she send a larger gust of wind towards the coming onslaught. There was a loud series of cries as she sent many of the Hoshidians flying or tumbling off the cliff.

"We have to try and clear a path!" Kamui shouted as he phased under a Hoshidian and cut him down. Corrin rushed towards her twin since he was fighting alone. She sent another wave out towards the Hoshidians on her brother's right, sending them flying. She wanted to create a larger wave but she didn't want to use up too much energy here and she didn't want to kill.

"Which way should we go?!" Corrin shouted as she stood to her twin's back. She parried a blade coming at her left, giving out a small slash to the offender before she quickly brought her blade back to block another strike.

"I don't know! Both sides look bad to me!" Kamui replied followed by a grunt and a scream that wasn't from him. Corrin edged out of a blade meant for her throat before she stuck her sword into the attacker's chest and pulled back in one quick motion. She really tried to just injure the enemies instead cut them down. They continued fighting side to side for a few more minutes. Their upbringing had definitely paid off but there were only two of them against so many! Plus Corrin was worried about Gunter and the others, would they be able to last as long as them?

"I have an idea!" Kamui shouted and then Corrin raised her hand and sent out a full wave of wind around her, to push the enemies back. Then her twin dashed around, touch all the fallen weapons, small flashes passing every time he did.

"Kamui wait!" Corrin shouted as her twin's plan became obvious to her. He was going to try out another part of his powers, but it was a lot more draining than his normal teleporting and phasing!

"It's our only option! I-ah!" Kamui fell onto his back suddenly but he quickly jumped back onto his feet, Corrin saw a shuriken sticking out of his arm, right between the armor, in the mesh. Her twin pulled the thing out before he started healing it. Then he lifted his sword up to deflect the strike from a female ninja with long dark hair before he engaged her in a melee.

Corrin heard someone approaching her and she turned only to see another dagger coming at her face. She deflected the blade easily but the attacker twisted with the motion and kicked her in the stomach. She lurched as the air was knocked out of her lungs but she still managed to step back just out of the next strike. Unfortunately her attacker grabbed her by her sword arm and pulled her forward. Her eyes widened and she moved her other hand to intercept but she was a little late. She winced as the dagger drove right through the area of her armor where it was only covered by her mesh. Still she managed to wrap her arm around her attacker's arm and stop it from going too deep. Her eyes went up to her attacker's to see a wide red eye staring at her before she head-butted him, making him stagger back. Corrin winced as the blade left her body but she powered through and slashed towards her attacker but he easily ducked under the strike and flipped away from her.

"Darn…" Corrin grit her teeth as she placed her free hand on her wound to try and stop the bleeding. At that point she noticed that the battle had paused though. She looked around to see the Hoshidian ninjas and soldiers all keeping a healthy distance from them now. Kamui took his place next to her, hefting the two swords he had deftly. She took a quick look behind her to see that Felica and Jakob were in the same position. They looked a little battered but still ready to fight. Meanwhile Gunter was on foot now, his horse was on the ground, multiple shuriken and blades sticking out of it. The fight had come to a sudden pause now.

"This is what's causing so much trouble; two scrawny children, an old man and two servants? This can't be right, can it Kagero?" her attacker asked, disbelief dripping from his voice.

The man was well built similar to Xander. He was a ninja like Kaze but this man practically oozed killing intent compared to the much tamer man. He had red hair slicked back except for one lock that stuck up. He had a scar going down across one of his eyes, Corrin assumed that it didn't work since he kept it closed while he only had one red eye staring at her, his mouth was covered by a mask. He held a dagger in his hand though he seemed to hold a more boisterous attitude compared to the other ninjas she'd seen. The one eye he had was the same calculating gaze she saw on Kaze though. Still…she felt a bit steamed at the fact that he called her scrawny. She could sense her twin's irritation as well.

"They aren't to be taken lightly. They've already taken down thirty of the men and wounded more than twice that, Saizo. And that was just the silver clad ones," a female voice replied. A female ninja landed next to the red haired one, it was the one Kamui fought against.

She was dressed up in a lighter colored set of robes and armor compared to the other ninjas around them. They were more of a light red color and her shoulders were shown and stockings covered her legs instead of armor or the baggy pants the ninjas wore. Corrin vaguely remembered that in her studies, female ninjas sometimes would use their looks to distract the enemy. The ninja's long dark hair was done in a ponytail and some of her bangs hung over one of her eyes. Her eyes were a red/auburn color and they watched them warily. She held two slim daggers in her hands.

"Why have you attacked us, Nohrians? We were at peace. Does your King really have so little honor that he would break his word twice?" the woman who Corrin assumed was Kagero asked.

"We weren't sent here to attack you…we were sent here to observe whether or not this place was deserted…" Kamui answered tactfully. A murmur swept through the Hoshidians, obviously one of disbelief.

"I find that hard to believe after all the blood that has been shed. Your man attacked first did he not?" the man now known as Saizo asked. Corrin tensed at those words…Hans. Why did he attack them? They could have walked away.

"He did not attack with our order and as I recall, your ninjas opened up on us before we did anything, killed four of our horses," Kamui threw back. By this point Gunter, Felica and Jakob had gotten to them and faced their backs. Corrin felt the air grow as heavy as the gloom in the canyon. Seriously how did she not notice how dark and cloudy it was there? Was she really so swept up by the attack that she didn't notice?

"Please! We didn't want to hurt them! We were just defending ourselves, you have to believe us!" Corrin interrupted quickly. Her brother was staring at her, incredulously while the others were all in similar states of shock. Saizo seemed taken aback by her declaration but he just scoffed.

"I believe you, but this is not something we can simply forgive…" Saizo replied as he raised his hand. The Hoshidians around them all lifted their weapons up again. Corrin shuddered slightly since it really didn't look like they would escape.

"Stay away from my Little Brother and Sister!" a rather furious voice shouted followed by a wyvern's roar. Then a familiar spell circle appeared around a portion of the Hoshidians before the enemies on it were blasted away. Saizo and Kagero jumped away as a furious black armored wyvern swooped in with an equally ferocious Camilla on her back. Corrin's eyes widened as her Big Sister furiously hacked down their enemies with her axe. She'd never seen her so angry, annoyed yes but never angry.

"Die!" A familiar black armored knight rode past Camilla, glowing red sword slashing down all Hoshidians in their way, Xander! Corrin's heart jumped for joy at the appearance of her older siblings, they were going to make it!

"Stay close to me!" Kamui shouted and then the swords lying around them, he had touched earlier suddenly lifted off the ground, eight of them. The blades formed a circle around the group of five in the center before they started spinning around them, stopping all enemies from getting too close. Then he started making the blades start attacking the enemies around them. Since they were just swords, the Hoshidians couldn't do much besides block, get away or get cut down. They all backed off rather quickly.

Meanwhile Xander, Camilla cleaned up the Hoshidians around them. Multiple magic glyphs appeared around the battlefield, blasting Hoshidians to oblivion. Leo had to be around as well, which meant Elise was probably nearby too. Corrin saw Saizo pull something out of his pouch and blew into it. There was a shrill sound that filled Corrin's ears making her wince but apparently it was a signal for them to retreat. The Hoshidians all pulled back, running back across the bridge to the fort, which was apparently very much inhabited. Still, Corrin had other things on her mind now.

"Camilla! Xander!" Corrin shouted happily before she winced as the wound in her side reminded her that she was hurt. She nearly fell to her knee but Jakob and Felica steadied her and started healing her with their staves. Her twin shifted as well but then he flinched.

"Ugh…" the swords Kamui was manipulating disintegrated and he dropped to his knee, using Saisho to keep himself from falling over completely. He panted tiredly as he barely kept himself up.

"Darn…" Kamui panted tiredly as he worked himself onto his feet. Corrin stared worriedly at him, whenever he tried something like that, he was left exhausted, when they were younger he would have simply passed out from the act he just pulled, the fact he could stand said something about his progress.

"Kamui! Corrin!" Corrin looked back to see Camilla dismount her wyvern and rush up to them while Xander held his sword up to signal something. Corrin grunted as Camilla engulfed her in a hug, too tired to really complain.

"Oh my darlings it's ok, I'm here!" Camilla cooed as she pulled Kamui into the hug as well.

"It's good to see you too, Camilla…" Kamui replied tiredly but happy.

"Thanks Big Sis!" Corrin giggled as she hugged her sister, oh how she longed to see her family again ever since that whole mess started.

"Of course! I would crush every one of those filthy Hoshidians for daring to raise their blades against you! I'll make them pay for laying their hands on you!" Camilla stated seriously as she hugged them. That sounded scarier than anything she ever said before and the worst part was that Corrin had literally seen her do that a few moments ago.

"You two really do have the best luck!" a rather smug voice prodded. Corrin lifted her head from Camilla's embrace and looked around her to see Leo and Elise on their horses. More importantly though, Leo looked happy to see them, legitimately happy!

"Big Brother! Big Sister!" Elise shouted happily as she rode her horse over to them. Camilla let go of them just in time for Elise to basically launch herself at them in a hug. Corrin felt exhausted from the fight and her twin wasn't in a better state so they barely managed to keep themselves upright when their sister hit them.

"I was so worried about you two!" Elise shouted as she clutched onto them. Corrin smiled as she ruffled her little sister's blonde curls. Kamui kissed the top of her head.

"I told you we'd see each other again," he said softly and Elise's cheeks flushed red. Unfortunately though their older brother cut their little reunion short.

"We have to get going. The Hoshidians will regroup and come back with a greater force. Your mission was to observe the fortress, well that mission is finished now and there is no reason for us to stay here any longer," Xander assessed. Elise huffed but she let go of them and got back onto her horse while Camilla got back on her wyvern.

"The way back is clear, Corrin, Kamui you take the others and head back across the bridge. We'll make sure no one follows behind you! Gunter, keep them safe!" Xander ordered as he pointed his sword to the bridge they just came across.

"Of course, Milord!" Gunter said as he placed his hand on Corrin and Kamui's shoulders and prodded them towards the bridge.

"You better make it back!" Corrin shouted at her siblings. Xander gave them a small smile, putting Corrin's worries at ease. Then she looked at Leo who just gave her a smile before he opened his tome up again and turned to face the other bridge. Yes they would be fine…no one could beat them. Corrin shook any bad thoughts out of her head as she and the others started running across the bridge. They would meet again, she just knew they would but it felt like that was the last time she'd see them for another while.

 **Both Twins POV**

Kamui and Corrin had been running across the bridge for what felt like hours. They had horses when they came across the thing before but now they didn't and they were exhausted from the battle they just left. At that point though they both realized that they were two members short. Gunter was running in front of them but they didn't hear or see Jakob and Felica behind them.

"Wait!" they both shouted as they came to a stop. The twins both looked behind them and waited for a few moments but neither of their servants showed up. He could barely see ten feet in front of him though, the atmosphere and grown even darker as they made their way across the bridge.

"Where are Felica and Jakob?!" Corrin shouted as she desperately hoped they weren't too far behind them.

"They were just behind us! Damn! Milord, Milady, we must keep moving though. Lord Xander and the others will run into them on their way to us, the bridge only goes one way or another," Gunter urged. Kamui grit his teeth and sighed before he nodded and prodded his twin to go, who stared at him pleadingly. They couldn't just leave their servants behind could they? Kamui had none of it though and pushed her this time.

"He's right we have to go," Kamui ordered his twin who glared right back at him but he didn't even flinch. Corrin wasn't going to just string along this time, they couldn't just forget about Felica and Jakob. Likewise, Kamui wasn't going to relent under his twin's desires, this was life or death not a stupid squabble over sweets!

"Neither of you are going anywhere!" a rather boisterous and…familiar voice shouted. Both twins looked towards the other side of the bridge to see Hans step out of the shadows.

"Hans?!" Corrin exclaimed while Kamui drew his sword.

"What is the meaning of this? Your actions almost doomed us all!" Gunter shouted as he moved in front of the twins and approached the berserker. Except before the veteran could act, Hans sprung forward with his axe.

"Just die, Old Man!" Hans shouted. Gunter lifted his spear to block the strike but Hans was faster in that moment and knocked his spear into the abyss before he slammed into the old knight, sending him tumbling off the bridge.

"Gunter!" Kamui and Corrin shouted as they ran to the edge of the bridge. Kamui was going to throw jump in after him and teleport back but by the time he looked over the edge, he couldn't see past the shadows to wherever Gunter was.

"No!" Corrin cried. Tears welled up in her eyes as her trainer/guard was lost to her forever. Gunter was an old warrior but he was also so kind and gentle. He treated the twins like his own children, at least when they were younger. He'd always trained and watched over them vigilantly and without complaint and now he was gone…

"Aww…did I kill your babysitter? Don't worry; you'll both see him again. Well you will, boy. Your sister isn't going to be joining him for some time…not before I have a little…fun…" Hans finished sadistically, his eyes roaming over Corrin like she wasn't even a person.

Rage…that was the first thing that ran through the minds of the twins. Sadness was the next thing that passed through and then finally determination. They both glared at the traitorous berserker who had actually dropped his smug attitude. Something was bubbling up in the two of them, something different.

"You will pay for this!" they both shouted as purple and golden energy poured out from them. Hans had to cover his eyes not to get blinded by the sheer force and light the energy put out. Then Corrin's arm shifted into some sort of spike while horns appeared on Kamui's head. The twins didn't even notice the changes since their minds were fully focused on Hans.

"What kind of freaks are you!" Hans shouted. Then in an instant, the twins attacked. Corrin sprung at him with her arm spike and thrust it towards him. Hans managed to dodge it but not before it skimmed his side, drawing blood. Then Kamui rushed in and slashed his shoulder, deeply. Hans cried out in pain and tried to raise his axe to counterattack but before he could, Corrin's hand shifted back into a hand while Kamui's left hand turned into a sort of claw-mouth. Then Corrin fired a blast of fire while Kamui fired off some sort of energy ball at Hans. The berserker cried out as his axe wielding hand was burned before he was blasted onto his back by Kamui's attack. He was defeated, soundly too. The power faded and their limbs shifted back to normal. They both shook their heads as they tried to figure out what happened but when they saw Hans trying to get up, they pushed those thoughts aside.

"Why did you do it?! Why did you attack the Hoshidians, why did you kill Gunter?!" Corrin shouted as she grabbed Hans by his armor and lifted him off the ground.

"S-Screw you, bitch!" Hans spat, angrily. Corrin wanted to hit him but she dropped him onto his knees and kicked him between the legs, making him cry out and almost crumple forward. Kamui caught him by his neck though and lifted him back up as he clutched his groin in pain.

"I won't be as nice! Answer us!" Kamui demanded as he applied pressure to the man's neck. He lifted his sword up to strike him but Hans held his hand up in desperation.

"Wait! I'll talk-urk! I…I was ordered to do it by the King! He ordered me to attack them and kill you!" Hans gasped out. The twin's were both surprised by that news but before they could do anything, Corrin's sword started pulling her, literally pulling her.

"Ah! What's going on!?" Corrin cried out as she tried to pull her sword back. Kamui turned to his twin and his eyes widened when he saw her literally go flying off the bridge.

"Ah! No!" Corrin cried out as she went off.

"Corrin!" Kamui dropped Hans and jumped off the edge after his twin without even thinking. He grabbed onto Corrin as quickly as he could.

"Kamui, no! You'll die too!" Corrin shouted when she felt her twin grab her.

"You're welcome!" Kamui shouted as he looked around to try and see if there was a wall or something he could stab his sword into or teleport to except he couldn't see anything except for his twin. Dread filled him as he realized that they might not make it out. If he wasn't exhausted he could just throw his sword up and teleport them up but he was drained already from his actions in the battle. He probably only had one or two teleports left in him if he was going to bring his twin with him.

"I'm so sorry!" Corrin clutched onto her twin tightly and buried her head into his chest as tears fell from her eyes. She was going to die, she could feel it, and she'd never see her family again. She'd never play chess with Xander again; Camilla wouldd never smother her again. She would never get closer to Leo or spend more time with him. She would never play princess with Elise again either. To make matters worse, she was dragging her twin with her!

"Don't apologize, it's only fitting that we leave together don't you think?" Kamui asked with a laugh but she could hear the dread in his voice, he wasn't trying to hide it this time.

"I love you, Kamui!" Corrin sniffed as she closed her eyes. Kamui wrapped his arms around her warmly and took a deep breath to try and calm his heart down. He had to be the strong one, even there.

"I love you too, Corrin…" Kamui said to her as they continued to fall. Except that was when something interesting happened. There was a bright flash of light that lit above them. Kamui looked up to see the light coming towards them and hope filled him.

"Hang on tight!" Kamui ordered as he threw his sword up towards the light. He heard his blade hit something or maybe something grabbed it. Then he teleported to his sword and held on tight and grunted as they came to a sudden stop.

"What?!" Corrin gasped when she felt them stop suddenly. The first thing that went through her mind was, why wasn't she dead. Then her heart flipped in joy when she realized they were all right! She opened her eyes to see a blinding blue light but before she could make out more they were suddenly shot up even faster than when they were falling.

"Whoa!" They came to a rather sudden stop again and the twins saw that they were above the bridge again; in fact they were back at the sight of their battle with the Hoshidians.

"Kamui, Corrin, are you two ok?" a familiar voice asked. Both twins blinked as they both saw a rather cute looking dragon/bird clutching onto a ball with her stubby legs and Kamui's sword was in her mouth. The twins easily recognized the headpiece on her head and the yellow eyes though.

"Lilith?!" Corrin exclaimed. The last time they saw her was the night before the day they left the fortress. But…why was she now a cute little dragon?

"Lord Kamui, Lady Corrin. I apologize for hiding this from you, but I had to if I wanted to remain close to you. I know this is redundant but I'm not human," Lilith said as she lowered them to the ground and released Kamui's sword so they could stand on their own again. Corrin sheathed her sword and made sure that the thing stayed there this time.

"Well we can see that," Kamui commented as he reached out and ran his hand over the small dragon's scales. Lilith giggled a little when he did that and Corrin wanted to scoop her up into her arms and squeeze her.

"You've actually already seen me like this. Remember that little bird you told me you two rescued when you were little?" Lilith asked as she settled herself on Corrin's shoulder.

"That was you?" Kamui asked and the little dragon nodded. Kamui and Corrin were only eight years old at that point. They were going to play in the stables where Marzia, Camilla's wyvern was. The wyvern was still little at the time only as big as a dog and the twins wanted to play with her. Instead they ended up finding a little bird caught in some of the rope. They cut it free and took it outside the stables to let it go. That same day, Lilith was introduced to them as their servant.

"Yes, I decided to stay with you both after that since you were so kind to me. I took human form and managed to get work in as a servant. The guards barely noticed since there were so many servants in the fortress. I just said that I was new and I've been with you ever since," Lilith said as she nuzzled Corrin's head before she did the same to Kamui.

"Thank you, Lilith…" Kamui said as he ran his hand over her back again while Corrin did the same. The dragon squirmed under their hands before she floated in front of them.

"That tickles!" she whined and the twins laughed.

"Unfortunately I exerted more power than my human form could take so I was turned back into this form. I will recover my human form in time, probably but it'll probably take a few weeks…" Lilith sighed as she scratched her head with one of her arms. The twins both frowned at that before they shared a look.

"So what are you going to do now?" Corrin asked. They couldn't exactly just walk back to the capital with a dragon perched on one of their shoulders. Not if the King was who they knew he was.

"I have a place that I can go to. No one will be able to touch me there. I can't show you yet since we're in the middle of the Hoshidian Border but I'll bring you both there later after I fix the place up and you both are safe," Lilith said. Corrin went forward and hugged the little dragon, followed by Kamui. The dragon nuzzled them both before they pulled away and then she waved goodbye to them with her little leg before she disappeared in a green flash.

"Great, now we have to start the trek over the bridge from scratch again," Corrin sighed as she looked back at the bridge. She really needed a nap when she got back and a bath.

"We'll be fine," Kamui said as he wiped his hair. They both made their way over to the bridge but before they could even step onto it, two things happened.

"You're mine Nohrians!" a familiar voice shouted. Kamui and Corrin both twisted around fast, swords drawn but they were too late. Kamui felt something wrap around his leg and he was yanked off his feet and hit the ground with a thump, while Corrin came face to face with the oni they fought days ago. Corrin barely had time to react before the Oni's club crashed into her head, her world going black.

"Corrin!" Kamui slashed the rope around his leg off but before he could stand, someone grabbed his arms and pulled him back onto the ground. Then he was face to face with the smirking face of a familiar face, Rinkah. Then he felt the tip of a blade against his throat.

"I have to say it is nice being on this side for once. If you move, you die…your choice…" Rinkah said smugly and Kamui growled in annoyance, the irony was not lost on him. He was about to phase out of the hold but before he could, Rinkah shook her head at him.

"I wouldn't try it…Saizo and Kagero have your sister at knifepoint now…" Rinkah said as she lifted his head up to see the two ninjas from earlier, with his sister in their clutches but more importantly, a knife at her throat. Kamui sighed in annoyance and whispered a small apology to Elise and the rest of his siblings.

"Sorry Camilla…Shit…"

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 **Wow this turned out a lot longer than I thought it would. Anyway I thought about this chapter for a while, especially the fight. I was juggling between the idea of making Corrin kill or actively try to avoid it. In the game they killed the people there but I decided that Corrin could get away with it since her twin was there to pick up the slack.**

 **Pairings still undecided but the ideas are forming. Sorry if there are problems with the grammar, when chapters get larger than 3k it gets hard for me to keep track.**


	6. Hoshido

I don't own Fire Emblem

 **Hey everyone, here's another chapter for you guys. I really like writing this, though that's the same for all my stories. Thanks for the reviews again. I'll answer your questions here as much as I can without spoiling anything. Before I get there though I want to apologize for not putting tags on the story. I swear I put character tags on this story when I started this, thank you Hoshimaster for pointing that out.**

 **Lia: I understand what you said; it was not my intent to make Corrin appear weak, she isn't. The twins are equally powerful it's just that they spend their power in different areas. Also the main thing to keep in mind is their differing mentalities. They both care and dislike killing, but Kamui is the one who is willing to do more than show his fangs if it comes to it. That is why it gives the impression that he is a lot stronger than her. As for their maturity, it's the same. Remember, I stated earlier that Kamui actually got involved in the Nohrian succession tragedies. Camilla talks about them in her supports of the game, how the children of Garon all killed each other. That changed Kamui a bit. Meanwhile Corrin has been mostly shielded from having to do something that dark. I tried to show both of their powers when they attacked Hans. Corrin had no quarrel with attacking him since she perceived him as evil.**

 **Namless guest: Thanks for the reviews. Yeah, I intended Leo to be portrayed in this manner since in the game it's not addressed a whole lot. When it is though, he gives off the impression that he's just hurting. I mean he is younger than Corrin/Kamui so he's still a kid. Onto your questions, unfortunately unless I have a special thing planned like a oneshot outside the main story I want to keep the POVs on the twins for the main story. As for the question on Kamui's lover's well it's still undecided. Keep in mind if I am actually going to do the polygamous thing there is a certain way I have to do it, at least from what I see. Otherwise it'll just be random. He'll really be with one of them for awhile and the other(s) will have to work themselves in as we go along.**

 **Consort: Thanks for telling me that little trivia.**

 **This is my favorite chapter so far; I came up with this idea while I was writing the Thanksgiving chapter. I hope you guys think it's as funny as I did, at least the first part. By the way I do have a Christmas chapter planned, so if the next update doesn't come up, it's because I'm waiting for Christmas day before I start uploading again. Man is it hard to tell what color some of the character's eyes are by just their pictures. I'm sorry if I get some of them wrong. Also if I call something wrong please tell me, I'm not an expert on names of Japanese clothes or things for that matter.**

Chapter 5: Hoshido

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 **Corrin's POV**

"Ugh…" Corrin groaned as she regained consciousness. She opened up her eyes slowly, squinting from the light. For a moment she thought she was back at the fortress since she was on a soft bed that she didn't want to get out of. She twisted onto her side, her head sending a light dull of pain through her and that was when she realized what happened. Her eyes snapped open and she looked up towards the ceiling of the room and noticed that it wasn't the same stone she was used to seeing. The canyon and the battle…Gunter…Hans…fire…her brother! What happened to him?! She remembered seeing Rinkah's face before she blacked out. She was about to jump out of the bed and rip the place apart to find him but a hand touched her shoulder, keeping her down.

"Corrin?" Corrin's eyes snapped to her right and low and behold, there was her brother, sitting next to her bed. He looked fine, his armor was still a bit disheveled from the fight but he didn't have any blood or dirt on him anymore. He had a relieved expression on his face and she immediately threw herself at him and wrapped her arms around him.

"You're ok?" Corrin asked as she buried her head into her brother's chest. She sighed as he wrapped his arms around her and stroked her hair, comfortingly. She winced when she felt his hand run over a sore spot on her head and he stopped. Corrin sighed in relief when he started healing the bump until her pain ceased.

"I should be the one asking you that. You took quite the hit. I healed as much as I could when they allowed me to but I guess I didn't heal it completely," Kamui replied softly. Her brother, ever the watchful one, he really did pick up a lot from Camilla. Then she heard a small chuckle and she tilted her head over her brother's shoulder to see Rinkah sitting in the corner. She seemed rather smug as she watched them though she wasn't postured in a hostile way, if anything she looked amused and a bit...happy?

"Your brother is a big softie, he barely left your side during the entire trip. He wouldn't let any of our healers touch you and if he did, he had to sit down and watch them as they worked on you," Rinkah explained and Corrin blushed a bit. Kamui didn't even blush he just crossed his arms. Scratch what she thought earlier, her brother was turning in a male version of Camilla in the regard of sibling safety. That was a terrifying thought since she was always around her twin.

"Where are we?" Corrin asked as she moved so she was sitting on the edge of the bed. She looked around the room to see that it was rather simple but different in comparison to what she was used to. Instead of cold stone, most of the room was made of wood. The furniture was a lot less numerous than she was used to and the furniture in the room was a lot simpler and less ornate. What she thought was the door, looked like some kind of wood with a paper screen. Corrin remembered reading something about it in her studies on Hoshido but she'd never seen it in person. The big thing that she noticed though was the window, specifically the pure light pouring in from the window and the large amount of people walking by.

They weren't in Windmire for very long since they were rushed to Krakenburg, back in Nohr. From what Corrin saw though, the city, while populated with more people than she was used to was very…calm. Sure there were large groups of people but they were very tame and while there was talking, it was all-soft and there was little excitement. Even the children seemed a bit tame even though there were a few running around. Not to mention it was also very dark there, her twin hated it. Corrin didn't blink since she saw no problem exactly even though she found it a bit weird.

What she saw outside was completely different from Windmire. The people weren't just numerous; they were so…energetic, full of life. The people weren't just speaking, they were speaking rather loudly, she could make out dozens of voices. She could barely tell what they were all saying. She caught sight of a few kids dash by, one of them carrying a string with a paper contraption attached to it. The other thing she noted was that they were all dressed in some kind of robes or rather their clothing looked a bit baggier as opposed to the more form fitting clothing from Nohr. Not to say they were all dressed like that; it was just strange to her, seeing it for the first time. Also it was very bright, even brighter than the rare times the sun shined in Nohr and she thought that was bright.

"You two are in Hoshido right now, specifically the Capital, Shirasagi. You've been out cold for the entire trip here, Princess. We've been waiting here for close to day for you to wake up. The Queen wants you both awake when we bring you to the palace," Rinkah explained as she stood from her seat. Then she snapped her fingers and the sliding door opened and Kaze walked in with several Hoshidian soldiers.

"So are we going to be executed then?" Corrin asked, timidly. She would have preferred to just die at the canyon. That way at least Leo and the others might be able to get their bodies as dark as that sounded. If they died there, would they even get the bodies back? Oh gods Leo, Elise…their siblings, did they know they were captured? Or did they think they were dead? Corrin's heart broke at the idea that her siblings were probably crying their hearts out for them.

"No, I highly doubt that. The High Prince wouldn't have bothered brining you here, to the capital if he wanted you dead," Rinkah answered as Kaze and the other soldiers bowed towards Corrin and Kamui.

"Prince Kamui, Princess Corrin. It is an honor to see you both again," Kaze said respectfully and Corrin blinked in confusion. She looked towards her twin to see that he was just as confused. He nodded for her to go, since apparently he didn't understand what was going on.

"It is? What is going to happen to us?" Corrin asked cautiously. She didn't need her brother's insight to tell that she had to have at least a little bit of professionalism.

"We are going to bring you to the palace. High Prince Ryoma and Queen Mikoto wish to speak to you both regarding the incident in the Bottomless Canyon and something else…" Kaze answered as he and the other soldiers rose.

"I apologize for the guards but we do not want you to try to run away. Please, our queen insists that we are not going to harm you," Kaze said as the guards fanned out of the room. Corrin didn't like the sound of that at all, time in Nohr taught her never to trust words so easily. Especially the words of your enemy. They were still enemies, right? She didn't want to hurt any of them or fight them in general but she still had instincts. She looked towards her brother, silently asking if they should try to break out but he just shook his head subtly and went forward.

"Very well…" Kamui sighed. Corrin trailed next to her brother as they left the room. The guards flanked them on all sides while Kaze led the way and Rinkah took up the rear. Corrin didn't dare speak up about any plan since she figured the ninja in front of them would hear the slightest whisper. Fortunately she didn't need to speak to her brother, part of growing up together for so long, meant that they could communicate through other means. Not telepathy or anything in the fairy tales but they could manage.

Corrin looked towards her brother when he slowed down so he was walking beside her. She looked down towards his hand as he quickly turned his wrist, flashing what she thought was a dinner knife tucked under his armor; the handle was black so it blended in with his armor's mesh unless you looked closely enough. The message was clear to Corrin, look for something to fight with when they broke out. Corrin looked around at the guards but she frowned when she realized that no one there was carrying their weapons. She hoped that they didn't just leave them there. She still had her magic at least. Wait…she thought back to when she and her brother struck Hans.

She had trouble remembering most of it but she remembered fire. She concentrated for a moment to try and remember the feeling. She thought back to her studies, she'd gone over this with Leo multiple times. Unlike fire, wind was all around her after all; she remembered that from her studies on people who could use magic without tomes. That made wind easier to call upon since there was always an abundance of it. Fire had to come from within one's self since it wasn't exactly all around, which meant the power came from the dragon blood directly. Lightning was the same and dark magic had to come from the blood and a desire for power. There was another type of magic called light but it was usually associated with healing, not much else.

Corrin was careful as she focused on the feeling she felt when she attacked Hans and after a few tense moments her hands warmed. Th-

"Hey! Stop that!" Corrin yelped when she felt Rinkah prod her back, she dissipated her magic and rubbed the back of her head as she turned to face Rinkah's glaring eyes.

"Try that again and we'll have to bind your hands," Rinkah spoke strictly and Corrin just nodded as she turned forward again. She caught her twin's eyes, doing her best to tell him that she was ready. He just nodded slightly; Corrin knew they would have to pick their moment carefully. They couldn't break out now, they were being watched too closely and unfortunately Corrin had caused that watch to grow tighter since Rinkah caught her using magic.

"Sorry…" Corrin mumbled as they moved out into the streets. Corrin felt her eyes sting when she stepped out into the streets even though she saw the light from the room earlier. She felt a little uncomfortable when she stepped into the light but nothing too bad. Her eyes adjusted to the light readily, she spared a glance towards her twin and she was surprised to see him looking around in a bit of wonder. It made sense though; her brother always preferred the light.

"Keep moving," Rinkah pushed Corrin and Kamui forward as they followed Kaze into the crowds. The people all parted for them as they walked through yet they didn't stare really, they just went about their business. Corrin noticed Kamui pull off the pin on his cloak and she quickly did the same, after all, it was the symbol of Nohr. It wouldn't do any good to let the people know they were their enemies if they were going to try to escape. It was bad enough that their armor wasn't the same design as the guards and the fact that they were being escorted didn't do them any favors. Perhaps they could slip away? No one knew them; then again no one around them had white hair and red eyes aside from that Oni. No if they were going to escape, they would have to move fast.

"This place is so bright," Kamui commented over the noise of the people. Corrin nodded, as she looked around at all the people, so loud and full of life. In Nohr the only one who seemed to be this energetic was Elise. Then her breath was taken away when they came to what she thought was the square of the town.

"Wow…" there was a large statue in the middle of the square. It was a statue of a large dragon with it's wings folded over itself like it was shielding itself. Corrin was about to keep moving when her twin suddenly tensed.

"Mm…" Kamui placed his hand on his head and his eyes closed as his face grimaced in pain. Corrin's eyes filled with worry as she touched her twin's head.

"Are you ok?" Corrin asked worriedly as she felt his forehead to see if he was getting sick. Her twin never got sick; in fact she never did either aside from that time that she tried Leo's cooking. But just because it never happened before didn't mean that it would never happen. Kamui opened his ruby eyes after a few moments and he shook his head.

"I'm fine…just a headache…" Kamui appeased. Corrin didn't buy it but she didn't feel her twin burning up. She gave him a look before she pulled her hand back and they continued on their way.

"I apologize once again for the manner of your entrance but it is important that you speak to our Queen. She wants to speak to you both desperately," Kaze said as they left the square behind and made their way up the center steps. Corrin nodded politely but didn't speak as she looked up the stairs to see a majestic building at the top of the rather lengthy staircase. She could make out a tall and large red and green building. It was far more colorful than Krakenburg Castle. The building had to be the palace, and probably their doom. After a mentally agonizing journey up the stairs they came to a large gate. The place was even bigger than Corrin thought now that she was in front of it.

"Ah, there's Prince Takumi. He must be here to receive us," Kaze commented as they moved towards the gates. Corrin noticed aside from a large sum of guards, there were three people in front of the gates that stood out. One of them was standing in the center while the other two flanked him.

The man on the left was dressed up similarly to the guards except his sleeves were missing, showing off rather toned and refined arms. He wore a purple tunic and white pants; hakama was the word, Corrin thought. He had black armor over his torso, forearms and lower legs. He was armed with a curved sword, a katana if Corrin remembered correctly. Unlike the guards around him though, his katana looked a little more refined and shaped to the pictures she saw in her studies. He was fair skinned with brown hair done up in a sort of knot or ponytail. He had hazel-gold eyes and a small x scar below his left eye. He had a rather easygoing expression on his admittedly handsome face. He winked at her and Corrin felt her cheeks burn.

The person on the other side of the center was a woman with blue hair. She wore a mix between a blue and an orange robe, a haori or a yukata she thought. She wore a dark chest plate with the symbol of Hoshido stamped on the chest. There was no way Corrin could miss that symbol. Other than that she only had armor over her lower legs and her arms were only covered in thick fabric. For a weapon she held a spear, a naginata. Like Corrin noted earlier she had blue hair done up in a ponytail. She had light hazel colored eyes, which seemed to shift between serious and laidback.

The final one in the center was what drew Corrin's attention though and not exactly for a good reason. It was a boy, no older than Leo, at least that's what Corrin thought. Dragon blood was weird like that and she knew from Kaze that he was royalty. The way the other two flanked him just screamed that out to her also. He was dressed up in what she thought was a long sleeved blue shirt of some sort. He had black hakama pants, a white fur tunic over his shirt and a furred fault. He had some armor on his forearms and his lower legs but aside from that he was not armored at all. He looked more like a hunter than a warrior like the two behind him. He had long light brown hair done up in a sort of braid behind his head and a ponytail at the same time. He had auburn-orange eyes that were rather sharp and hostile. He had a frown adorning his face and Corrin had an image of Leo flash before her eyes for a moment. The only other thing worth noting was the golden bow he held. The odd thing though was that there was no string, it was just the bow. Probably something involving magic.

"Kaze, Rinkah. It's about time; your messenger came by an hour ago, saying that you were on your way. Did the prisoners try to escape?" the middleman asked as he approached. His name was Takumi if Corrin heard correctly.

"Apologies, Lord Takumi. It took some time to get through the crowds," Kaze said respectfully as he bowed. Rinkah just scoffed behind them. Takumi and his two guards came up to a stop in front of them and the Prince crossed his arms as he gave Corrin a look over before he did the same to Kamui. Then he scoffed and shook his head.

"These are the two Mother and Ryoma are so interested in? They don't look like much more than children, they're a bit scrawny, how did they cause so many issues?" Takumi scoffed and Corrin frowned. She wanted to say that they looked older than he did but she held her tongue. She felt irked when he called them scrawny, her brother wasn't going to forget that. Takumi looked her in the eye though before she looked at her twin and then he let out a small laugh and Corrin backed up a bit.

"Well at least the part about them being twins is true. I can't tell if the boy is a girl or not, he looks almost as pretty as his sister," Takumi mentioned and Corrin felt flustered at the remark. She knew her twin didn't appreciate the barb since she saw his hands clench into fists and his eyes hardened. Takumi's guards noticed too from the way they shifted for their weapons. Then Takumi just chuckled rather cruelly as he waved his hand at his guards.

"Don't worry, Hinata, Oboro. These two aren't going to try anything, not here in the middle of enemy territory," Takumi said and Corrin bit back a retort. Her twin didn't have to have an outwards reaction for her to know he didn't take that kindly. It was like seeing Leo before they turned him nice except he wasn't a kid.

"Big words from the guy with dozens of guards around…" Kamui muttered and Corrin smiled slightly at that.

"Milord, please. Rinkah and I can attest to their abilities," Kaze answered swiftly. Takumi sighed and waved his hand.

"If you say so, move them inside. Ryoma is waiting inside and Mother will be there before too long," Takumi ordered and then Corrin jolted when she felt Rinkah prod her along. She looked at her twin to see her own frustration mirrored in his eyes.

"When?" Corrin asked silently with a shrug and he just shook his head. She took it as a "soon". Maybe they were going to try and take someone hostage? That might work especially if they captured someone in royalty. Except they still needed weapons and more importantly, surprise. Hopefully they'd run into a situation where there were few people in the room.

"So I hear, you gave the men at the border quite the problem. I still find it hard to believe that two scrawny kids could do that," Takumi commented off handed as he led them into the palace. There was an open area, the courtyard probably but the Hoshidians steered them through the halls. They probably wanted to keep them in a tight space so they wouldn't be able to run. Corrin was so busy admiring the palace and how different it was compared to Krakenburg, that she was a little caught off guard by the remark. Her annoyance spiked a little, it really was like talking to a sassier Leo with no Kamui around to smack some sense into him.

"You're even thinner than us and we're both taller than you…plus we're both older than you," Corrin replied before she could stop herself. Takumi flinched at that but he didn't stop and Corrin could see his neck turn red in what must have been embarrassment. Rinkah let out a small laugh behind her and Corrin looked at her twin to see he was both amused and chiding. Corrin shrugged playfully and he smiled at her before they turned their gaze forward. Takumi's two guards were glancing back at them, but whether it was in anger or amusement, Corrin couldn't tell.

"Enough! We are growing close to the throne room, mind your tongues until we get there!" Takumi barked, not even bothering to face them. They passed by a small opening in the paper walls of the halls and Corrin stared out for a moment to see the most beautiful garden she'd ever seen. There was green everywhere and…pink petals flying through the bright air from trees. She saw a girl wearing a white dress with cerulean hair but it was only for a moment so she couldn't tell what she was doing or what her face looked like. Then the sliding door shut and a guard stood in front of it.

"Mm…" Corrin turned towards her brother to see him shake his head and blink rapidly. She wanted to ask him what was wrong but before she could, she felt Rinkah grab her and make her stop.

"Stop, we're already here…" Rinkah said. Corrin blinked and turned towards her front to see that they were in front of large golden doors. The throne room no doubt, Krakenburg had doors like this, except they were black. Takumi turned to them at the front of the doors and crossed his arms at them.

"Mind your manners. My mother and my brother are inside. My brother doesn't take too well to offenders, especially towards Mother and no one will save you if he decides to kill you…" Takumi said quickly. Great he also acted like Leo when he was called out too. Perhaps it was all an act and he was only acting that way because they were enemies? Corrin shook her head though when Takumi waved his hand and the guards at the gates pushed them open. Corrin looked towards her brother and he shook his head and nodded towards the throne room. Corrin nodded and prepared herself, they'd spring into action inside.

"Kaze, Rinkah, you two come inside with us. The rest of you wait here," Takumi ordered. The guards around them bowed before they fanned out along the hallway and Corrin felt her heartbeat pick up.

"Hinata, Oboro. You two go find out where Hinoka and Sakura are please," Takumi commanded and his two servants both bowed to their lord before they ran off. They both gave Corrin and Kamui a look as they left but Corrin ignored it. That was two less people they'd have to deal with inside. She hoped her sword was in there, though that was doubtful. She hadn't seen any sign of it ever since they got in there. They better not have passed it onto some random soldier! Even if it tried to hurl her off a cliff, she still wanted it!

"Well let's go," Takumi said as he stepped into the throne room. Corrin shared a look with her twin before they entered the room, Kaze and Rinkah trailing in behind them. The doors shut behind them, cutting them off from the rest of the guards outside. That was a good sign, she'd wait for her brother's move though.

The throne room was vastly different from the one in Krakenburg. For one, it was a lot smaller, only a small group of people could fit in the room. No wonder why the guards were told to stand outside, there wouldn't have been any room left. The walls were all solid except for one door to the side, probably a room for the monarch. The throne was a rather majestic looking seat, even more so than the one in Nohr. It was elevated even higher up than the one in Nohr as well. The seat was golden and black with red furnishing. In the side of the room though, Corrin spotted what she thought was a flag hanging on a wall, with symbols she couldn't recognize fast enough to care.

There was a stand under it with a picture of a young man dressed up in samurai armor like the kind she saw in her books. There were a few candles lit in front of the picture but more importantly, there were two blades put on display. They looked rather intricate by their scabbards. They were both white with gold furnishing and very ornate looking. They were a katana and a wakizashi if Corrin remembered correctly. Hopefully those weren't just for show. If Corrin saw them then her brother saw them.

"So you have returned?" a strong voice asked, reminding Corrin of Xander a bit. She looked towards the foot of the throne to see a rather tall man standing with his arms crossed. Intimidating wasn't enough to describe him. It really reminded Corrin of her older brother in Nohr now.

Ryoma, she thought that was his name. He was dressed up in samurai armor that Corrin really thought a samurai would wear. It was a bit altered but the design was right out of her books. He had blood red armor with gold detailing from neck to toe with a white haori and hakama pants. He had long black hair cascading down his back and kept in place by the red headpiece framing his face and sharp grey eyes. She spotted a single blade on his belt but the way it looked, didn't sit right with Corrin. It had a similar design to the blades on the stand but she could sense a sort of power emanating from the sword, similar to Xander's Siegfried or Leo's Brynhildr. Even Takumi's bow emanated the same kind of power now that Corrin focused on it. This was not someone she could defeat alone; she didn't think her twin could do it alone either. They'd have to go after him first and they had to do it together and quick.

"Yes, Lord Ryoma, we came as soon as we could," Kaze said as he stepped forward to bow before the man.

"Very good, Mother will be in shortly," Ryoma nodded as his gaze connected with Corrin's for a moment before his eyes shifted towards Kamui. She turned her eyes towards her twin and he gave her a slight nod and she nodded back before she prepared herself for his signal.

"Where are Hinoka and Sakura? Shouldn't they be here for this?" Takumi asked as he walked up to the man who was no doubt his brother if he was a prince.

"They are away in the north. They're investigating some reports near the villages in the mountains. The winter snow will be setting in soon and we wish to make sure everything is secure before the winter festival takes place," Ryoma explained and Takumi sighed and scratched the back of his head. Then the sound of the door to the side of the room opening rang through the room. Everyone's eyes turned towards the other door in the room and Corrin felt her breath hitch when Kamui waved his hand.

"Now…" Corrin shot her hands forward, sending a strong torrent of wind towards the four in front of them. Kaze and Rinkah were caught off guard since their backs were too them the whole time and were flung into the walls with loud thumps. Takumi wasn't flung into a wall and landed on the ground instead. Ryoma was the only one who managed to keep himself grounded.

"Bastards!" Takumi shouted. Corrin and Kamui both shot forward towards the red samurai prince. The samurai's eyes widened in surprise as they charged him and he held up his hand instead of going for his sword. Before he could do anything though, Corrin and Kamui both delivered strong strikes to his lower gut. Their combined might easily delivered enough force to knock the air out of the prince, making him double over and gasp. Then they both pulled back and delivered two uppercuts below the prince's jaw, sending him reeling back onto the ground, unconscious. Corrin felt her fist hurt a little since she had basically punched thick metal, twice with the same hand.

They didn't stop there though, Kamui pulled out the knife from his gauntlet and Corrin turned towards the doorway, calling her wind to her again and fired a strong torrent of wind towards the person who entered. She saw a pretty woman wearing a beautiful white and gold dress. She had long black hair that reminded Corrin of the night and amber eyes that stared at her in shock. Corrin assumed that she was the queen and she winced slightly as she pushed her back through the door with her magic. Then she sent a small fire spell towards the door to prevent her from coming back through. The flame would die out in a little bit.

"Ugh!" Corrin turned to see Kamui punch Takumi in the gut. Takumi gagged but he snarled at Kamui and tried to hit him with a right cross but Kamui stopped the strike with his wrist and grabbed the offending limb before he slammed his palm into his chest, making Takumi gasp again. Then Kamui flipped him onto his back, hard. Then he lifted his foot and stamped into the archer's chest. Takumi let out a strangled gasp as he passed out. Kamui dropped the knife he had and quickly rushed over to the stand with the blades. Corrin picked up Rinkah's club instead of going for any of the other weapons. If the weapons the Princes had were anything like her brothers than they wouldn't work for her.

"Are you ready to go?" Kamui asked. Corrin turned to see him strap the two blades to his belt the way they were supposed to be put on, for some reason instead of a different way. She nodded to him and they ran to the doors quickly but before they could reach the doors, Corrin heard a grunt and the sound of a sword being drawn behind her. Trusting her instincts she dove to the side and her twin dove the other way. It was a good thing too, because the moment they did that, a small lightning blast hit the ground where they were. Corrin turned around to see Ryoma on his feet, his sword in his hand, which was arcing with lightning. The man had an impressed expression on his face.

"Please stop! We mean you no harm!" Ryoma shouted as the other three in the room stood back up, some faster than others.

"Hey! That's mine!" Rinkah snarled when she saw Corrin holding her weapon. Corrin just hefted the weapon defensively while Kamui moved closer to her just in case.

"I told you we should have bound them!" Rinkah shouted at Kaze who just shook his head but didn't move to draw his weapon. Takumi hefted his bow and a green string appeared when his hand pulled back and that same energy formed an arrow as well.

"I told you this was a bad idea!" Takumi shouted then his eyes widened when his eyes landed on Kamui.

"Put down my father's swords!" Takumi ordered intensely as he seemed ready to release the arrow. Corrin summoned fire to her hand, she didn't want to hurt anyone but she wanted to go home. Kamui drew both blades from their sheaths and took the stance Corrin saw him use at the canyon. Then something interesting happened, her brother pumped his energy into the blades like she assumed he would but after he did that, they didn't just flash they started glowing with a blue aura similar to when he did the same thing to Saisho. Everyone in the room stopped at that point. Shock filling their features, even Kamui looked surprised. The blades were sharp and refined but other than that they didn't look like anything special. Except before anything else could happen, something even more surprising occurred.

"Please stop!" a soft voice pleaded. Corrin looked back towards the doorway only to see that the flames were snuffed out like she thought they would but the woman from earlier who was standing inside the room now was what had her attention.

"Kamui, Corrin please don't fight! We're your family!" the queen pleaded as she moved towards them. Corrin gawked when she heard that and her flames died out in her hand. Kamui froze too at the sudden cry. Corrin didn't realize what was happening until she and her twin were already engulfed in a hug. Corrin and Kamui were both taller than her so it was simple for Corrin to look towards her twin, in confusion only to see the same expression on his face.

"My sweet, children…you're both here…" the queen sniffed slightly as she hugged them both. Corrin just stood there though as the Queen hugged them and her twin did little else. She looked towards the other occupants in the room to see varying expressions. Kaze seemed rather content and Rinkah just crossed her arms at her, probably still sore that she took her weapon from her. The two princes had varying degrees of expressions though. Ryoma put his sword away and actually smiled at them and Corrin had a flash of Xander run through her mind. Takumi put his bow away but he still held the same scowl from before.

"What?!" Corrin shouted when her mind finally got back on track. The queen stepped back and frowned at them, her eyes were a little puffy and red. A little voice in the back of Corrin's mind said that they should try to force surrender but she just couldn't. Kamui didn't either since he just stood there.

"You are both my children. I am Mikoto, Queen of Hoshido and your mother. I…all this time we didn't know you were both still alive, I can't believe fate has delivered you back to us!" Mikoto sniffed gently as she reached out to touch them but Corrin and her twin flinched back. Corrin had a million thoughts racing through her head but the first one that came to mind was denial.

"She speaks the truth. I am your older brother, Ryoma. Takumi is your little brother. I still remember the day you were both taken from us. We believed you to be dead along with our father," Ryoma said sadly as he shook his head.

"Yes…we thought you were killed along with the King but then we heard that you were taken. Now here you two are…you've been alive this whole time…please. We are your family, you have to believe me…look…" Mikoto held her hand out and then there was a flash and a bow appeared in her hand. Corrin and Kamui both flinched away at that…she…it was the same power as Kamui's…

"No! We're not from Hoshido, we're from Nohr!" Corrin shouted as she shook her head. She dropped the club and ran her hands through her hair as she tried to make sense of everything she just heard. Images of Leo and the others ran through her mind and nothing else. She wracked her brain for any memories of her earlier childhood but nothing came up and that alone was concerning. She looked to her brother for comfort but she didn't find it. Her twin just looked paler than usual like he was realizing something horrible. He shook his head hurriedly and raised his two weapons up.

"She's right! We can't be from Hoshido! We're from Nohr! We are siblings to Xander, Camilla, Leo and Elise! We have no parents!" Kamui shouted, sounding more alarmed than Corrin ever heard him sound before. Then she realized why he was denying it so readily, the canyon…the battle. Corrin felt sick to her stomach. Her brother…he…he killed Hoshidians there. They fought against their home?

"Do not be fooled. Those are Nohrian Royals? They are not your real family, we are. They stole you away from us eleven years ago…there is no doubt that they suppressed your memories to control you both," Ryoma added as he moved towards them. Kamui raised his sword at the samurai prince but Corrin could see the blade shaking in his grasp. Ryoma was undeterred by the hollow threat and simply stood in front of the blade.

"The swords you wield belonged to Sumeragi, the king of Hoshido, our father. They accepted you as their new wielder. No Nohrian would be able to wield those weapons, no descendent of the darkness would be able to even touch those blades," Ryoma said slowly. Kamui dropped the swords at that and stepped back a few steps, shaking his head slowly. Corrin could see tears welling up in his eyes.

"But I…I can't be…I…the canyon…" Kamui fell to his knees and for the first time, Corrin saw her twin break down. He clutched his head as if he was suffering from some kind of headache as he started crying. Corrin rushed to him and hugged him, letting him clutch onto her. She hated seeing her twin like this, it wasn't natural, he was always so strong. Except…this time he had done something that he no doubt saw as horrible beyond words. Assuming everything they heard was true…but there was nothing to refute it. They both fought against their birth home? She heard some shuffling behind her and she turned to see the Queen…her mother? She frowned as she knelt down in front of them. She reached out and placed her hand on Kamui's face and he flinched but he stopped sobbing and stared at her blankly. Then she did the same to Corrin who almost flinched away from it.

"My sweet children…both of you have grown so strong…please…do not fret over the deaths at the canyon…you did not take any of them in hate. I can see that easily, Kamui. Please…you must not let this drag you down…you are home now…both of you…" Mikoto soothed. Corrin couldn't place it but the touch felt…familiar now. She still couldn't remember but…her body seemed to remember for her. Mikoto wrapped her arms around both of them and this time…this time Corrin returned the hug and her twin did the same, slowly.

"Mother…"

* * *

 **I really didn't want to end the chapter here but it didn't feel right if I just went on to a different part, it would take away from the reunion. Anyway so yeah next chapter is just going to be Kamui's POV and we'll see what he's thinking about all this.**


	7. Chance

I don't own Fire Emblem

 **Thank you for the reviews, you're all awesome!**

 **I planned that entire scene out with the attempted breakout back when I was writing the Thanksgiving chapter. Originally I was going to make it run it's course like in the game but then I decided that it wouldn't make sense so I settled on that. If anyone has any misgivings on the twins being able to take down everyone in that room too fast, let me explain it to you.**

 **They caught them by surprise, it took both of the twins to knock Ryoma out with their sheer physical might. Also keep in mind Ryoma didn't want to fight them in the first place. Takumi is an archer so he would be weaker at close range and against someone like Kamui, yeah he isn't going to be conscious for very long.**

 **Anyway feel free to ask me anything story related in reviews or just tell me what you guys think. I'm happy to answer any questions you have.**

Chapter 6: Chance

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 **Kamui's POV**

Kamui held his hand out as he walked through the snowy fields with his sister and his "real" brothers. He stayed near the back of the group though with Rinkah and Kaze. They were on their way to a village in the northern part of Hoshido. The two Princesses of Hoshido were there and they had been gone for days. They were supposed to be Kamui's sisters if the Hoshidians were to be believed. Ryoma asked the twins to come along since the sisters would love to see them and Corrin volunteered without a second thought and Kamui agreed only to keep her out of trouble. His twin was very sweet but she let it blind her sometimes, though she would argue that his logic would blind him as well.

Kamui and Corrin had been in Hoshido for a few days, or at least a few days since they learned that they were apparently from Hoshido. It wasn't that Kamui was in denial still, well not fully at least. Except the news did not spark the supposed joy that his real family thought it would. Corrin had apparently acclimated to the news readily, she had pieced things together like he had but that was why he was in such a predicament. He wouldn't even be out there in the snow if Corrin didn't volunteer to go with Ryoma and Takumi to go search for the Princesses, their sisters.

It wasn't that Kamui thought they were bad exactly; in fact he thought they were very nice. Ryoma and the Queen were very caring towards him and very patient. The Queen's affection was a new feeling to him but a welcome one. It was different from Camilla's care it was a bit warmer? No that wasn't it; he didn't know how to describe it. He supposed that was what a mother's love was like. Though he didn't know how to react to her still, even though she had tried to comfort him during his little episode.

He got along with Ryoma well enough and thankfully he didn't hold a grudge against him for hitting him. If anything the guy was impressed since he didn't expect the twins to be able to hit so hard. Kamui chose not to be irked about that little jab at his physical stature. Ryoma even offered to help him refine his fighting style more but Kamui refused for now since he didn't want to grow too trusting yet. Thankfully Ryoma and the Queen both accepted that he was not going to just jump into the news right away like Corrin.

Takumi was a bit of a jerk but he was better than Leo was…sort of. At least he kept the comments to a minimum and he wasn't bullying Corrin. Kamui thought he was still sore that he knocked him out rather quickly. In his defense he thought they were going to kill them. At least he shut up whenever Kamui got mad. That worked on him faster than it worked on Leo.

The servants of the palace seemed to accept him too, they served his every need just like in Nohr but they were…kinder. In Nohr the only servants who were that nice to him were Lilith, Felica, Flora and Jakob, the rest all had certain stiffness to them. The other piece was that he was aloud to roam around as he pleased, something he could never do in Nohr. He could leave the palace as he pleased though he hadn't done it too much.

The constant light helped him…be at peace but it also made him feel dread. Even being in the presence of snow for the first time didn't sway him as much as he hoped it would. Don't get him wrong he liked the snow, it was something he had wanted to see for a while and he wasn't displeased, it was definitely better than rain, he hated rain. But things were complicated.

Ever since he entered Hoshido he'd been getting flashes of memory as if there was a veil of darkness over his mind for all this time and the light of Hoshido was breaking it. They were small flashes that he could barely piece together at first, the only somewhat vivid one came when they walked through the square the other day when they arrived at the capital. It was a memory of little Kamui and little Corrin running through the square while a girl with short red hair and amber-orange eyes chased after them. They were laughing and the redheaded girl tried to tackle him only to hit his twin instead. That by itself was damning evidence since it felt so real and familiar.

As he had gone through the past few days he had pieced together things that unfortunately made sense. Aside from the obvious fact that the Queen…his mother had a power just like his, there were other things to point out. Two other reasons were beating against his hip with every step, the blades of Sumeragi, his father. That title had never been anything positive to him before, or rather he couldn't remember that meaning anything to him other than a tormenter. It still felt awkward carrying the man's weapons.

The blades felt right in his hands, they were the perfect weight and the right shape for him. He'd trained with them in his free time and everything felt perfect. As Ryoma said, the blades seemed to have chosen him. His older brother insisted that he wear them as his birthright and not be afraid to stand tall. Takumi seemed sore about it but Kamui learned that was normal. They told him that the swords were sharp but not as deadly as they could be when anyone else used them but for some reason they answered to Kamui. They said that alone was proof that he belonged there, in Hoshido. It wasn't like he had a lot of options since unfortunately Saisho was left behind at the canyon. His captors were worried he'd teleport to it and attack them if they brought it with them. They weren't wrong; he probably would have found a way. It irked him a little that they brought the Ganglari with them, especially since it tried to kill them.

There were other small things though that Kamui could pick out. Like his fighting style was very similar to the way the Hoshidians fought. In fact Ryoma had said his fighting style was almost a perfect mirror of the Hoshidian royalty with little things missing due to not having a proper teacher. Ryoma told him that he would always watch him and their father train and he would imitate the movements all the time with a stick. Those movements had also felt natural to him, he didn't think there was any hidden meaning there but apparently he was wrong. Heck Ryoma even said that Kamui was being trained as a shinobi while he was still there, at least in the art of moving silently. Kamui could buy that a little more readily since he did recall his siblings in Nohr saying that he was always quiet if he was alone.

While in Hoshido or when he was with his mother and his brother's they felt familiar like Kamui's heart remembered them even if his brain couldn't. It was hard to be in denial after piecing things together like that, especially since he had been taught to follow his instincts. There was no doubt that Corrin had put these things together as well. It was still a lot to take in though, a week ago he was a determined Nohrian Prince ready to prove himself worthy of his kingdom's colors, ready to claim his place in the world and prove he was every bit the warrior his brother and sister were. Now…apparently he was living a lie the whole time.

Accepting the words of the Hoshidian royalty meant that he would be accepting that he killed his own people though. Well he actually did accept that he killed them obviously but it was troubling to no end. He shook his head at the thought, he did it because he had to but that just didn't sit well with him if his heritage was true. It wasn't like killing his countrymen was a new feeling. He had killed Nohrians before, he had been forced to take part in the Nohrian line of succession after all and there were a few times where the King made him fight to the death against soldiers to test him. He said they were all tests to prepare him for the real world…at the tender age of ten all the way until he was twelve. So the art of killing an…ally was not as foreign as it should be to him.

As bad as that crime was though, it wasn't the main thing weighing him down. At first it was but he came to terms with it after a few days, to an extent. It wasn't easy but he had to accept either way that he killed those men and woman, kinsmen or not. He needed to push on, Corrin needed him to be strong, he had to be strong. Besides, something far worse had taken its place.

His family in Nohr…what about them? Did they know about who he and his twin really were, where they were really from? Leo and Elise probably wouldn't since they were younger but what about Xander and Camilla. Camilla…no his big sister wouldn't lie to him right? He could believe he wasn't related to them but to be from the enemy kingdom? There was no way Xander couldn't know he was the Crown Prince. He would have been ten years old when they arrived; there was no way he didn't know. Why did he hide it from them for so long then?

"Elise…" Kamui thought sadly as he trudged through the snow. Did they know he and Corrin were alive? He shuddered at the thought of Elise crying her heart out because she thought he was dead. Did they find his sword and assume he was dead? Or did they know he was captured. He…he was supposed to make his family sweets when he returned…he wondered if Elise was calling him a liar now.

He looked towards his twin as she talked with their "brothers" ahead of him. Ryoma seemed quite content to speak to her and even Takumi seemed to keep his hostile attitude down around her. He didn't know how she could be so accepting of everything, or maybe that was because she had no blood on her hands. Did she forget about their family in Nohr? No…she would never do that, his twin was just a naturally friendly person.

That angered him a little; his twin was always pampered and spared from the darkness he had to suffer through. She always got out of things and he was too darn caring to want it differently. She was so nice that you couldn't wish anything bad on her. Even Takumi was finding it hard to be mean to her like he was to Kamui. The prince was jealous of her outlook on life that he could no longer hold. The way people looked at her with such admiration while they might have looked at him with distrust because he was cautious. He didn't hate her though, he never could. She was his twin after all. She was the only thing he knew he would always have by his side and he was the same to her.

"She even looks like a saint now…" Kamui thought dryly as he looked towards his twin. If only Leo was there to see that…

"Milord, are you alright?" Kaze asked him politely. Kamui didn't respond to the ninja and just waved his hand dismissively. The ninja didn't speak further but the other person behind him wouldn't stay quiet.

"I think his highness is still brooding," Rinkah joked and Kamui sighed as he wiped his hand through his hair. Another thing that bothered him was that everyone seemed to be…fine with the fact that he fought against them in the Bottomless Canyon and killed quite a few of them. Granted he wasn't complaining but it was unnerving, were they all really that understanding? Or perhaps they just wanted to put it behind them and not think about it again. Well Takumi was still sore but he could deal with another little brother that wanted to pick a fight.

"So who are these people we are looking for again? They're the princess's right?" Kamui asked, interested.

"Yes, Princess Hinoka and Princess Sakura. You are younger than the former and older than the latter," Kaze replied professionally. Kamui nodded, accepting the information. So it was the same as in Nohr then, two older and two younger than the twins.

"Why are they so far from the capital if it's just the two of them?" Kamui asked as he looked around the mountainous landscape that they were trekking.

"Lady Hinoka is a Sky Knight, she can ride through the air and Lady Sakura can ride with her. They were just supposed to investigate the villages up north and report back but it has far exceeded the time they were expected to return," Kaze answered. Kamui nodded and while he wanted to leave it at that, he felt the need to ask something else.

"What…are they like?" Kamui asked slowly. He couldn't deny he was interested in getting to know his "real" family. Instead of the ninja replying though, it was Rinkah.

"Lady Sakura is a healer devoted to the study of light magic (healing). I don't know her well but I can tell you that she is very kind, a bit shy but very very kind," Rinkah explained.

"Yes, very kind. Kinder than one might expect, considering that she never knew her Father or two of her older siblings," Kaze added and Kamui frowned at that. She sounded a bit like Elise, at least in the regard of being a healer and very kind. Elise was never shy, if anything she was too outgoing to meet people. His heart throbbed painfully as he thought about Elise. Was she a replacement for the little sister he was taken from for all this time? No…that wasn't right, she wasn't shy like this princess they were describing. He wondered if maybe she always knew he wasn't blood, so that was why she was falling for him like Camilla said back in Nohr. He still didn't know how to feel about that though, he wasn't exactly in the state to think about romance yet.

"And what of my…other sister?" Kamui asked attentively. He winced softly, imagining the hurt expression of Camilla at the notion that he was getting another Big Sister. She took her duty as the older sister so seriously it was scary. She relished the fact that she held it alone too. He wondered what she would do if she found out that he had another big sister, nothing good, obviously. He found himself desiring that kind of outburst though he missed his big sister. He was strong and tried to be the big sibling when he needed to but…he still needed that comfort that Camilla could give him, the kind that made him feel protected. He really needed that now. The Queen gave off something similar but he didn't trust her yet.

"Lady Hinoka is a brave and courageous warrior, hell if I didn't know any better I would think she was part of my tribe. She is fearless and a good friend," Rinkah said rather fondly, which surprised Kamui a little.

"Indeed, Princess Hinoka is quite the valiant warrior, one of our finest. Only Lord Ryoma matches her in terms of bravery and courage," Kaze added. Kamui smiled slightly at that since she sounded like someone he would get along with.

"She also talks about you and your sister quite a lot, especially you," Rinkah added, cheekily and Kamui flushed in embarrassment. Wait why was he flushing in embarrassment? He didn't even know who she was!

"I see the same courage in you actually, the willingness to charge into unfavorable odds and the strength to come out on top. No Nohrian would ever do that without some kind of clever plan in place. Lady Hinoka will be pleased to see that you're everything she believes you are," Rinkah commented and Kamui actually turned to look at her to see a rather easygoing expression on her face. The message was simple; she respected him. Heck she probably even liked him a little bit. That notion tugged a little on him, especially since she was his prisoner before, she could have easily hated him. In fact he thought she did considering she saw fit to capture him the same way he bested her when they fought before.

"Indeed, a fine inheritor of the Yuki No Aru," Kaze added and Kamui turned his gaze towards the ninja.

"Yuki No Aru…I've heard that but I don't know what it means," Kamui said thoughtfully as he allowed the two to catch up to him.

"It roughly means courage. The Hoshidian Royal Family is known for having a high amount of courage, able to face down even the most unlikely scenario head on without succumbing to fear," Kaze explained.

"In contrast, the Nohrians tend to be known more for deception and cunning," Kaze explained further in a bitter tone as they started walking faster to catch up to the rest of their group. The irony that a ninja was calling people cunning in a bad sense wasn't lost on Kamui.

"I can see that…" Kamui replied as he thought about it. His siblings back home all embodied those things, though he didn't think it was a bad thing like Kaze made it sound. After all, it was how Xander was able to sidestep around the king in order to try and protect the twins. Camilla had a way of honey coating her words to get you do lower your guard. Leo was always thinking of ways to get around a direct approach and Elsie…just look at her, enough said. His twin had a way being a little…conniving too, especially when she tricked him into promising her sweets when they returned to Nohr. Still…Kamui noted that Kaze and Rinkah didn't say his twin embodied this courage like he did.

"Brother! We are getting close to the village!" Ryoma called back to them. Kamui looked towards the three ahead of him to see they were waiting for him. He broke into a run to get up to them along with Rinkah and Kaze.

"I was wondering if you could walk any slower…" Takumi commented when he arrived and Kamui glared at him but didn't dignify that with a response.

"Enough Takumi. This is no time for bickering; we have to find Hinoka and Sakura quickly. The village is just beyond the next mountain," Ryoma chided as he pointed towards the largest mountain Kamui had seen ever since he got there. He wiped the snow off his hair and he smiled when he saw his twin complain with her eyes. It was her idea to come in the first place.

"So what would you have us do?" Takumi asked, respectfully. Well at least Kamui had his older brother on his side, it felt weird to call someone else that. Kamui looked around the area and he noticed two ways to go, either they could go left or right, assuming both paths led to the destination. They could go over the mountain…but that would probably take about the same amount of time and it would be more tiring.

"We split up. Takumi, take Corrin Kaze and Rinkah down the right path, it is longer but at least you will have ample cover because of the denser forest. I will take Kamui left through the most direct path, if there are any problems, we will be able to deal with it," Ryoma commanded and Kamui flinched slightly. His twin did the same and their eyes connected worriedly.

"Is that a problem, Brother? I merely wish to send our ranged combatants along a more covered area," Ryoma asked, concerned.

"No…it is a sound strategy," Kamui consented and his twin frowned but she nodded.

"Very good, we best get going. I don't like the way things look," Ryoma commanded. Corrin bolted and hugged Kamui quickly and he returned the hug quickly.

"Stay safe…" Kamui whispered into her hair before she pulled away. Then he turned towards Takumi who stiffened when he looked at him.

"I better not hear from Corrin that you're picking on her…brat…" Kamui said a little fondly but Takumi seemed to recoil at his words.

"Don't call me that!" Takumi shouted in anger and Kamui's eyes narrowed at the brat they called a prince. So much for trying to reach out to him, Kamui felt the urge to push him into the snow. He was supposed to be his brother after all.

"You don't deserve to call me that!" Takumi continued as he pointed at him. Kamui just stared at him; Leo was a lot harder to deal with when he was being a jerk. Whenever Kamui called him a brat though it was usually out of affection.

"Takumi! Please don't fight with Kamui!" Corrin urged as she quickly grabbed hold of Takumi's hand and started tugging him towards their designated path. The archer didn't put up much of a fuse, probably because Corrin wasn't taking no for an answer. Kaze gave Kamui and Ryoma a bow before he rushed off after the prince and princess. Rinkah trailed off after them at a more leisure pace but she gave Kamui a shrug as she left. Kamui stared after his twin as she ran off but he glared at the way Takumi seemed to be holding her hand. Leo's face flashed through his mind and he nodded.

"Don't worry Little Brother, I'll make sure you get the first shot…even if I feel like I should punch you in the face for it…" Kamui thought before he felt his older brother place his hand on his shoulder with a small clank of their armor hitting. He winced at the sound before he turned to his brother to see a rather amused expression on his face.

"Your temper is still as firey as ever I see. It's good to know that hasn't changed," Ryoma commented as he motioned for Kamui to follow him. Kamui bowed his head and followed after him.

"…I had a temper back when I still lived here?" Kamui asked.

"Yes, not a bad one but noticeable and it's gotten stronger from what I can tell. You were always calm but your anger tended to have a hand in things you did every now and then. You also tended to get mad whenever your twin was in distress," Ryoma explained and Kamui smiled a little, that sounded like him all right.

"Did Takumi and I get along before?" Kamui asked, curiously. Ryoma chuckled softly before he turned his head towards him slightly, beckoning him. Kamui sped up his walking so that he was walking alongside him. He had to admit that Ryoma felt…easier to talk to. Don't get Kamui wrong, he adored Xander as his older brother and he still did but Ryoma seemed to be a lot more…inviting almost. Though Kamui supposed it wasn't Xander's fault, he had the King to worry about.

"Yes, he got along with both of you before you were taken from us. You were both being trained in the art of silent step, though Takumi was always lagging behind because of his nature. He was never mad that you were excelling though, he was proud of it actually. He was proud to have you as his brother. Time has changed him as it has changed us all though. Our brother is happy to have you back, trust me he is. You can see how he acts with Corrin, but he took the news of your…actions in the canyon hard. The reports were not very flattering towards you to be honest…" Ryoma worded carefully and Kamui sighed as he remembered that battle.

It was the first time he had been in a battle like that. He had already experienced killing and he managed to put his dislike towards it in its place. Corrin wasn't going to do it so he had to so that they could live. He cut down those men and women because if he didn't he wouldn't see his family again, at least what he thought was his family. He was going to be having words with his twin about all that later, maybe his twin would even push the talk instead of him.

"I did what I had to…I didn't enjoy it and they were trying to kill me and my sister too," Kamui replied slowly and Ryoma nodded.

"We are aware you fought because your life was on the line. The reports said that much as well, Saizo made sure to express that thoroughly. He also said you were dangerous," Ryoma explained and Kamui smiled again.

"Aren't we all?" Kamui thought.

"Takumi is a little different unfortunately. He…he's wrestling with his happiness that you're back and his anger that you killed Hoshidians, whether you knew whom you were or not. Give it time, he'll come around," Ryoma prodded and Kamui nodded. He'd be happy to not think about that battle too, at least for now.

"I know you still carry doubts and misgivings about everything, Kamui. You have a cautious nature, it is fitting that you would and also saddening," Ryoma said and Kamui flinched softly but he didn't say anything.

"I…it took time but I managed to piece everything together, I think. I see the proof for what it is. I already had a feeling I wasn't related to my family in Nohr," Kamui explained slowly and truthfully. He had accepted the truth that he was from Hoshido but he didn't know what to do with it yet. He still didn't even know if these people were really his family. It put him in an awkward situation concerning his loyalty.

"So you believe that you are Hoshidian then?" Ryoma asked. Kamui sighed but he smiled at the samurai. The man had earned his respect and he had continued to be kind to him ever since he got there. He could feel a kinship with him similar to the one he shared with Xander. He decided to go ahead and play things Corrin's way and follow his heart without his paranoia. Maybe he wouldn't call them siblings yet but they deserved something, he felt like they did.

"Yes, I do…" Kamui replied fondly and Ryoma smiled but before they could talk more, they heard a series of inhuman roars. Kamui felt his soul shake at the sound, they didn't sound like any animal he'd ever heard.

Then what seemed like out of nowhere, purple flames erupted from the ground in front of them, a few of them actually. They were only there for a few moments before they dispersed but they left something behind. Kamui's eyes widened when he saw what exactly was left behind by the strange flames. There were quite a few large humanoid looking things in front of them but they were anything but human. They all towered over Kamui and Ryoma by a few feet and were all inhumanly muscular. Their skin was a sickly green like they should have rotted away but they didn't. They were all clad in simple cloth or belts and a helmet full of holes covered their heads. The only other thing worth noting was that they all had shackles on their wrists along with the chains still attached to them. They all roared viciously at the two and Kamui grit his teeth.

"Prepare yourself, Kamui! The enemy is upon us! Faceless!" Ryoma shouted as he drew his sword, which Kamui learned was named Raijinto. Kamui drew his two blades and held the shorter one, Kiba in front of him while he held the longer one, Tsume back a bit.

"Here they come!" Ryoma shouted as he fired a lightning strike from his sword into the first strange creature that charged at them. The beast was incinerated by the blast, leaving only ashes but there were more coming their way. Kamui noticed most of them run further down the path they were taking to the village. Before Kamui could think on it more though, he had to dodge one of them. He jumped back as one of the creatures; one of the Faceless punched the ground where he once stood. Kamui's eyes widened when he saw it hit the ground so hard that the arm went limp. The Faceless swung at him with it's other arm though, this time the chain on its arm was used as a weapon.

Kamui deflected the chain away with his katana before he threw his wakizashi at the Faceless. The blade pierced its skin easier than Kamui thought it would but he wasn't complaining. He teleported to the blade and stabbed his katana through the creature's helmet. The Faceless ceased its movements when his blade pierced its head and Kamui kicked off of it, pulling his blades out in the process. Kamui flipped onto his feet and landed softly.

"Rarh!" Kamui barely ducked under another chain and severed the chain with his sword before he charged the monster. The faceless drove its fist towards him but he edged out of the way and slashed both his blades across the monster's chest. The monster groaned as it fell over, dead. Blood didn't drip from the wounds though; some kind of purple mist left the wounds. Kamui turned to Ryoma to see that he had already defeated two of them and was dealing with the last one. The last one was a bit bigger than the others though. Ryoma slashed at the faceless but a chain deflected his sword and he was forced to jump back in order to avoid a hit. Kamui pulled his wakizashi back to throw it but before he did, something happened.

Ryoma held his sword in a two handed stance, his blade facing towards the enemy. Kamui knew the stance well since he used it all the time if he only had one sword. Except something was different about it. The Faceless roared at Ryoma but the samurai didn't even flinch. Then something interesting happened that made Kamui pause. There was a green glow that seemed to come from Ryoma and then in an instant he moved so fast that Kamui had trouble seeing him.

"Yah!" Ryoma shot forward and stabbed his blade into the faceless then he pulled the blade out and moved to the side and slashed the side open. Then he moved to the other side and slashed open a gash across the belly. Then his next strike went downwards towards the leg. His blade easily cut through the flesh of the monster, bringing the monster down to its knee. Then in one fluid motion Ryoma brought his sword up in an upwards slash. The large Faceless didn't make a sound as it fell over onto it's back, unmoving. Then it started fading away almost like it was evaporating. Ryoma flicked his sword to the side before he turned to Kamui who just blinked.

"Quickly, there is no doubt that the Faceless are going after the village. Hinoka and Sakura must be there defending it," Ryoma commanded quickly. Kamui just nodded stiffly, still trying to process what he saw. Ryoma took off at a run and Kamui ran after him, surprised at how quick he was on foot and without a horse, especially since they were trudging through snow.

They sprinted down the path in relative silence but after a few moments Kamui heard fighting. He heard more faceless roars and some grunting and battle cries from people. He was able to recognize his twin's voice among them and Rinkah's voice was unmistakable since she let out a very loud war cry. He saw a flame shoot up into the air and he grit his teeth as he started running faster. That had to be his twin; they'd worked out a way for her to use her flames to signal over the past few days. If he remembered correctly that was a signal saying that she needed help.

"Hurry!" Ryoma shouted as they hurried down the path. It didn't take them that long to arrive on the scene. Kamui saw a small village but he didn't see any people at all. Then he saw a figure fly across the sky and he focused in on it. He saw a Pegasus with what he thought were two red clad riders on its back but they were too high up to see clearly.

Then his attention was dragged to the battle happening close to it. He saw his twin fighting against the faceless rather well along with Kaze and Rinkah. Kamui's eyes widened when he saw Rinkah smash her club down onto a faceless, practically crushing the head like a ball. He sent a silent thanks to his training that allowed him to never get hit by that strength when he was fighting her. Kamui smiled a little when he saw his twin fight off the faceless and he could notice that she wasn't holding herself back. At least she had no reservations against killing these things. Then Kamui saw a faceless appear behind Corrin but before Kamui could intervene, an arrow made of pure energy found its way into the monster's head, killing it almost instantly.

"At least he's watching out for her…" Kamui thought as he rushed towards the battle with Ryoma. Except a sudden cry stopped him in his tracks, he looked towards the sky and his eyes widened when he saw the Pegasus from before plummet from the sky. He saw an arrow protruding from one of the wings. He looked around for the shooter but he didn't see anyone with a bow except for Takumi who was busy covering Corrin still. He looked to see Ryoma had already engaged in the battle his twin was in and no one else had seen the flyer get hit. The Pegasus sputtered in the air, as the rider tried to get the mount to land somewhat softly though it didn't look good.

"Hinoka!" Kamui tensed when he heard that voice and then more flashes ran through his mind, more images of that little girl with red hair filled his mind. There was another little girl too who was different from the one he saw before though, this one was a bit younger and her hair was a lighter shade from the other girl's. She was holding a little crown made of flowers out to him.

" _Here, Onii-San…I picked them from the garden and made it myself…"_

" _Thank you, Sakura," a little version of Kamui said as he bowed his head so the little girl could put it on his head. Then he gasped as the other red headed girl he saw earlier tackled him from behind._

" _Hinoka!" Kamui exclaimed._

" _Got you! You're it now Otouto-san!" Hinoka giggled before she gasped when Kamui spun them around and started tickling her. She laughed as she tried helplessly to free herself from his clutches and Kamui blushed a bit as he watched the memory._

"Ah!" Kamui looked up towards the falling Pegasus and his eyes widened when they hit the ground. They managed to hit it softer than it could have been but the Pegasus still toppled over, throwing the riders into the snow as well. Kamui tried to run towards them but a throbbing headache wracked his head.

"Ah my head!" Kamui fell to his knees as more images filled his head. He got flashes of both the redheaded girls playing with him and Corrin when they were kids. He saw them playing in a garden together and then they were in a kitchen, trying to peek over the counter to see what their…mother was making for them. Except they were clear, he could make them out, the images were clear.

"Sakura are you ok!?" Kamui blinked as the images faded along with his headache as determination filled him. There was no mistaking those…they were real, he could feel it in his heart. There was no jumbled mess this time, they were clear as day. He was Hoshidian…he was from the kingdom of light…he was a Prince of Hoshido! He winced at the way it sounded in his head but his memories wouldn't lie. He had killed his own kinsmen then, it was the truth. His sisters…he could remember them, at least parts of it. He could feel pieces were missing still but he could find those later.

Kamui stood back up and looked towards where the Pegasus had fallen. Two people rose from the snow. The smaller one of the two was a girl who looked no older than Elise. She had the same shade of hair as the youngest girl in Kamui's visions and the same eyes. She was dressed in a white and red dress of Hoshidian design. She had small golden scepter with bells attached to it in her hands. Kamui assumed it was the Hoshidian version of a healing staff. That had to be Sakura.

The other girl looked to be around Camilla's age. She looked just like the girl with the dark red hair in his visions but older obviously. She was very pretty and Kamui found himself blushing as he saw her. She had the same auburn/orange eyes but they were fiercer than what he saw in his memories. She was dressed in a red and white tunic and lightly armored on her arms and legs with silver armor. For a weapon she held a naginata in her hands. She ran to her downed Pegasus as it lifted itself off of its side. That was Hinoka, no doubt if the other one was Sakura. Hinoka's eyes linked with his and they widened in shock but as she opened her mouth, the roars of multiple faceless rang through.

"Hinoka! Sakura! Kamui! Look out!" Ryoma shouted and Kamui looked towards the main battle to see multiple Faceless had broken away from the fight to go after the ones separated from the group. There were only about three of them though. They were all going towards Hinoka and Sakura though.

"Hinoka!" Sakura exclaimed as the sky knight lifted herself from the snow and stood in front of her little sister and her Pegasus.

"Don't worry, Big Sister's got this. A few Faceless won't stop me!" Hinoka boasted proudly as she stamped her naginata into the ground before she twirled it around a few times and pointed it towards the enemy. The Faceless kept coming towards them, unhindered by her declaration though. Kamui narrowed his eyes as he pulled his wakizashi back and threw it towards the incoming Faceless. The blade landed in between his sisters and the Faceless. He teleported to where his blade landed and lifted it from the ground and clashed his two blades together, creating sparks.

"Stay away from my sisters!" Kamui shouted as he charged the incoming faceless. He dropped his wakizashi into the ground and held his katana in both his hands as he charged the incoming enemies. He ducked under the monster's arms and slashed open its side smoothly before he turned and delivered a wide slash to its back, it fell right away. Then he ducked and felt something barely miss his hair before he turned his sword around in a reverse grip and stabbed backwards. His blade hit true and he felt the blade pierce the flesh of the faceless behind him. The faceless groaned for a moment before it went still and Kamui pulled the blade out. The third faceless had bypassed him in favor of his sisters but it hadn't run by his wakizashi just yet.

"I said…stay away from them!" Kamui shouted when he teleported back to his wakizashi. He drew his shorter blade from the ground just in time to deliver two slashes across the monster's chest before he severed the head with his katana in one smooth motion. He watched with cold eyes as the faceless fell to the ground and began turning into purple smoke.

It unnerved Kamui a little to see all of this, he could sense dark magic from the creatures. It was different from Leo's and it took awhile to get a feel for the strange energy he sensed from them but his dragon blood was telling him it was dark magic, just a…far worse version of it. He already thought pretty lowly about dark magic already; it just felt…unnatural to him. His extra sight always made it look unnatural as well, even from someone like Leo. Kamui always favored the sword and light magic; it felt right and honorable to him. He didn't understand why Leo liked it so much or why his twin was interested in it either. Perhaps that was part of the reason he didn't get along with Leo at first considering that his little brother was a dark magic practitioner.

"K-Kamui?" Kamui raised his head when he heard his name. He sheathed his blades and turned around slowly to face his sister's. He thought it was Sakura who said his name at first but when he turned around he saw that Hinoka was the one approaching him. Her hand was outstretched towards him like he wasn't real. He was about to go towards her but before he did, he froze when he saw her eyes widen in horror. He felt a strange presence behind him, one that didn't exactly make him feel comfortable.

"Kamui!" the prince heard his twin scream behind him. He turned around just in time to see an outline of a man. He could barely see it though, the only way he could really tell something was there was because of a purple aura that seemed to just radiate from whatever he was looking at. Before he could react though, the being grabbed him by his cloak and tossed him. Kamui grunted as he phased in order to land on his feet in the snow. He shook his head and stood up fully to look for his attacker quickly. Then his senses screamed at him and he activated his extra sight and turned around quickly.

His eyes widened when he saw the outline lift a sword towards him and swing it. The man and the weapon were completely dark purple and yet…Kamui thought that he saw blue under it for a moment but he was too focused on the attack to pay too much attention to that. He phased back a step, out of the attack and drew his katana but before he could counterattack the outline moved forward faster than he could react to attack him again. Kamui raised his free hand over his face and he grit his teeth when he felt the blade cut through his glove into his palm, he could already feel blood seeping from the wound. He moved his katana in front of the blade, creating a loud clang but it stopped the attack from cutting deeper into his hand. He glared at his attacker and phased to the side and slashed towards the attacker in one motion but right as his blade passed through it, the being just vanished without a trace like it wasn't even there in the first place. His eyes widened since he literally just disappeared.

"What was that?" Kamui thought as he looked around quickly to see if his attacker was still around. He didn't see anything but his attacker was hard enough to see already. That strange feeling he got when it appeared was gone too, it must have run away. His extra sight didn't pick any traces of whatever that was. He blinked and his vision returned to normal, the man didn't turn invisible or anything, he would have seen right through that. He was just gone… It was there; his injured hand was proof of that. Speaking of which, it really hurt…

"Mm…" Kamui sheathed his katana and lifted his injured hand up to inspect the wound. He winced at the sight of it, blood poured out from the wound and spilled into the snow below but it wasn't too deep. He carefully pulled his now bloody glove off and threw the now useless thing away. His left hand was completely covered in bandages and they had absorbed the blood from the wound. He pulled them away from the wound to show a bit of scarred flesh around the wound. He pumped his healing magic into his injured hand and he held his uninjured hand over it to help it along. He would have to replace the bandages before someone noticed, they had soaked up a lot of the blood but that was not their purpose for being there in the first place. Last thing he needed was for people to see what was wrong with his hand. He winced as the wound closed and he shook his hand a little to get some of the blood off of his hand. He reached into his belt to pull out some more bandages but before he could…

"Kamui!" Kamui looked up just in time to catch his twin as she launched herself at him. He grunted as she slammed into him and barely managed to hold himself up as his twin hugged him tightly.

"Are you ok?" Corrin asked as she pulled back to look at him worriedly. He frowned and pulled her off of him before he flicked her head, making her yelp. He was careful to hold his bandaged hand away though.

"I'm the one that worries about you, not the other way around…good job by the way," Kamui said affectionately and Corrin blushed. He didn't see all of her fighting since he was busy himself but he could tell that she did well, without his aid. She wasn't fighting people but still, compliments were due where they were deserved, Xander and Camilla taught him that.

"Well…I had Kaze and Rinkah backing me up. Takumi too! He's actually really helpful you know?" Corrin said and Kamui smiled a little though his heart felt heavy still.

"K-Kamui? Corrin? Is that really you?" Kamui and his twin both looked towards the voice to see Hinoka and Sakura standing there. Sakura was standing back a little shyly but Hinoka was approaching them. Kamui noticed Ryoma and the others were standing a bit back as well. Rinkah and Kaze seemed to stand back a little ways while the Princes, no their brothers stood closer.

"Yes it's us Big Sister…Onee-San…" Kamui greeted warmly and his twin stared at him in surprise by he ignored it. His twin apparently didn't remember anything still but he did. Hinoka's eyes widened and then he saw tears well up in her eyes before she practically threw herself at them. Corrin yelped as they were pulled into a hug but Kamui accepted the embrace right away. Hinoka clutched onto both of them tightly as she started sniffling and sobbing.

"I can't believe it's you! I missed you both so much!" she sobbed as she clutched onto them tightly. Kamui smiled and wrapped his non-bloodied hand around her back while Corrin awkwardly did the same. Kamui felt warm as he hugged Hinoka, it felt…good, it was similar to how he felt when he hugged Elise but it felt stronger.

"Don't be shy, Corrin. She's your Big Sister; Hinoka was quite close to both of you while you were still here. She always followed you two around. She even tried to join in on the silent step training that Kamui and Takumi did but she could never quite do it right. She cried for a long time when you were taken from us…" Ryoma said contently as he watched on. Takumi just scoffed and looked to the side but Kamui thought he saw a smile worm its way onto his face.

"Oh…" Corrin sighed as she hugged Hinoka in a more affectionate way. Hinoka pulled away after a few moments rather hurriedly and wiped her eyes quickly and Kamui couldn't help but feel his heart flutter a little. His cheeks felt warmer than usual too, which embarrassed him more when he noticed it. Thankfully no one seemed to notice.

"I'm sorry…I…I'm just so happy to see you both again!" Hinoka sniffed and Kamui moved forward and hugged her this time. She stiffened at his action and he could tell the others were as well. He wasn't one to initiate affection like that generally; his brothers and his twin had come to know that pretty well.

"I'm happy to see you too…more than you know…" Kamui said to her as he hugged her tight, he felt his own eyes growing moist but he held back his tears. Hinoka wrapped her arms around him again and buried her head into his chest and Kamui sighed happily. He felt happy for the first time since he got to Hoshido, truly happy, at least for the moment. His heart felt light for the first time in his life like something had been lifted from him. In Nohr he did feel happy at times but he always felt like something was weighing him down, now it was gone. He could feel more memories coming to him but at a less painful pace. Memories of Ryoma, Takumi, his mother and his…father came to him and it felt amazing. He pushed them aside though when his sister pulled back to stare up at him happily, her face was a little red and he found it cute…wait what?!

"You got tall…" Hinoka commented and Kamui scoffed as he released her. Then like with his twin he flicked her head and she gasped at the motion before she grabbed the spot he struck. Kamui did it on instinct for some reason and it felt a bit more…affectionate on her than it did with his twin.

"You ruined the moment…" Kamui joked and Hinoka glared at him but she dropped it almost immediately and laughed.

"It feels like you didn't change at all…" Hinoka sighed and he winced a little at that.

"Is it really...them? Our brother and sister?" Kamui turned to Sakura to see that she was staring at them hopefully as well and Kamui nodded towards her.

"It's good to see you too…Imouto-San…" Kamui said affectionately and he could just sense the surprise from his twin, he was definitely acting a bit out of character considering he just started being affectionate to strangers. Except they weren't strangers, not exactly, they were their family. Sakura smiled at them brightly and like Hinoka she threw herself at them, though in a much more controlled way. She actually hugged Corrin first before she hugged Kamui, they were quick but by no means were they any less affectionate. She was shy; Kamui could tell that much, just like Kaze told him.

"This feels like a dream!" Sakura said happily and Kamui shared a look with his twin who had a bright smile on her own face now. She had wanted him to be a little happier and now he was. By this point Ryoma and Takumi had made their way over, though Takumi kept his distance still.

"Indeed, finally all of us are together again. It is as our mother foretold," Ryoma proclaimed and Kamui felt like he was back at Nohr with Xander and the others. Actually no, it felt stronger than that, like he actually belonged. Before he could muse on that further though, he heard a gasp and looked towards the one who let it out. It was Sakura and she had her hands over her mouth in shock and…worry?

Kamui followed her gaze to his hand and he jolted. The wound was healed but his bandages had absorbed a lot of the blood so it looked like his entire hand was bloody. It looked worse than it really was. The problem was that the others had seen it as well. They all had varying degrees of expressions, most of them were shock but the one that stood out was the horror on Hinoka's face.

"Oh gods! Your hand!" Hinoka gasped as she tried to grab it but Kamui put it behind him quickly.

"Oh my god! Your hand! Onii-San let me see it! I can help!" Sakura exclaimed and Kamui backed up a bit when she came forward.

"No! It's ok! I already healed it! I have access to light magic and I healed it already! The bandages just absorbed the blood before I healed it," Kamui said way too quickly. He cursed himself for sounding like a kid trying to hide something. His siblings were having none of that; for once Kamui was thankful Takumi decided to stay back.

"Even so, Sakura is a devoted healer, let her look at it," Ryoma said worriedly as he stepped forward. Kamui shook his head but when he backed up, he felt someone grab his hand; he turned to see the worried face of Hinoka as she gripped his arm tightly. He sighed and relented to what was to come as she pulled his hand out so the opening was facing her and then she froze the moment she saw the skin of his hand.

He looked to the others and saw them freeze up as well, even his twin, who looked a little…betrayed. Ryoma was staring at the skin for a few moments before he closed his eyes but he saw the samurai tighten his grip on his sword. Sakura had her hands over her mouth again in shock and he saw her eyes shine with tears. Kaze and Rinkah both looked disturbed by the sight and even Takumi looked disturbed by the sight.

"W-What?" Hinoka gasped and then she furiously tore the bandages on his hand off, revealing the scarred skin. His hand was fine but it didn't look nice. It was covered in scars from burns that had healed over long ago but left their marks.

Hinoka held his hand in her own for a few moments just staring at it and then he felt her tighten her hold on him. She gripped him so tight that her hands started trembling. He watched her head shake for a few moments before he felt something wet land on his hand. He already knew it was tears. Hinoka looked up at him with tear streaked cheeks and teary eyes but they weren't sad, they were filled with fury.

"Who…did this to you?!"

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 **Sorry got to end it here. Let me know what you guys think!**


	8. Reflection

I don't own Fire Emblem

 **Hey everyone sorry for the break in the updates. I finished exams last week and I just felt tired and I wanted a break. I'm back though! Thanks for the reviews!**

 **I must say this though, I did some checking around and I was surprised to see that there aren't that many fics on romance between the avatar and any of the sisters. Most of them are on the female avatar and one of the brothers at least from my little search. Well anyway I am starting to narrow down the pairings but nothing concrete just yet. Things will be a little more concrete when we get to the crossroads.**

 **Stay tuned, I have another chapter planned, hopefully I'll have it out in time. As always please review, like/favorite!**

Chapter 7: Reflection

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 **Corrin's POV**

"Sit down, brother," Ryoma commanded, as they not so gently forced Kamui into a medical room. Corrin's twin had been less than forthcoming with the details of his scars and Corrin wanted to smack him upside the head for that. He probably would have run off if Hinoka didn't keep an ironclad grip on his arm the whole way back to the capital. He hadn't said anything concerning the burns on his hand the whole way back, even after pleading to him. Hinoka had spent the first few hours trying to shake it out of him, literally but he still didn't budge. He said that he would talk when their mother saw the marks; said if he had to talk about it, the whole family should know.

"Kaze, send for our Mother to come here, tell her its an emergency," Ryoma commanded as Hinoka dragged Kamui over towards a bed and forced him onto it. Corrin was surprised that her twin wasn't really resisting that much; she knew he easily could if he wanted to. There had been times in the past when Xander tried to yank him somewhere and he'd put up all kinds of resistance. Even if he couldn't overpower Hinoka he could have easily phased out of her hold. The only ones who could force that kind of submission from him were Elise and Camilla. Corrin didn't understand how her twin went from cautious to loving and back to cautious in almost the blink of an eye. Did he really start remembering things? Maybe that's what the headaches were, he was getting them a lot over the past few days, maybe it was his memories returning? Except why couldn't she remember anything then?

"Brother please…" Hinoka pleaded as she gripped Kamui's scarred hand again. Corrin was having one of those rare moments where she felt protective of her brother. Rare because Kamui was Kamui but there were times that she was worried about him. This was one of those times.

Kamui frowned at Hinoka again and sighed before he pulled his hand from her grasp and then he undid some of the armor around his arm and let it slip off. Then he pulled his mesh sleeve back a bit and their sisters gasped. His wrist and some of his forearm were covered in bandages too.

"I'm sure you can imagine what this is…" Kamui said in a freakishly calm tone that Corrin had grown accustomed to. How had she not noticed those? She had been with him their entire lives! They still shared a room for crying out loud! Was she that blind or was he just that good at hiding it from her?

"OH GODS!" Corrin jumped and turned to the doorway to see none other than the Queen of Hoshido standing there, her hands clasped over her mouth. Hinoka moved aside as their mother rushed over to Kamui and grasped his scarred hand tightly.

"What happened?!" Mikoto demanded and Kamui just turned his head away from their mother. Hinoka moved to his side and grabbed his shoulders.

"Kamui!" Mikoto pleaded as she shook him. Kamui turned his head back towards their mother but he didn't raise his head to meet her eyes. Corrin moved to his other side and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"You promised you would talk if all of us were in the room…" Corrin reminded him and Kamui sighed.

"I know…its just…weird talking about it…" Kamui replied. Corrin shook her head and thumped him on the head. He turned his head to glare at her but he only grumbled for a bit before he lowered his gaze again.

"My ability to phase, teleport and manipulate weapons manifested when I was eight years old. The trainers had never seen anything like it and apparently King Garon took an interest in me. When I turned ten, he took over my lessons personally…well in a sense anyway…" Kamui said as he nodded towards his hand. Mikoto released his hand and he pulled it back and flexed his hand a little before he pulled his mesh sleeve back over his forearm and started reattaching the armor to it.

"He did that to you?!" Hinoka asked outraged, she looked ready to go tear something apart. Mikoto backed off and moved over to a chair and sat down in it as she buried her face into her hands. The king was not known for being very nice after all; everyone knew that in Nohr. Corrin looked towards Ryoma and Takumi to see the latter shifting uncomfortably while the former stood stoically like always but she could see his hands gripping his haori tightly.

Corrin felt sick to her stomach listening to this all and even worse, she was piecing it together fast. She knew the time that her brother was talking about. She remembered that her brother had started going to the Fortress in Krakenburg regularly a few years back. Xander and Camilla were with him every time and they always came back together. They were never gone for very long but it was more than a few days every time.

Her brother…started wearing gloves all the time for some reason. He also changed, he was still the loving brother she always knew but that was when he started adopting the caution to his personality. It was also when he really started…growing up, how could she not see the signs? He grew up because he was in pain. The sudden change from cheerful and energetic to a more calm and collected? That's not something that just happens! Was she really so naïve?

"W-Why? What did you do?" Sakura asked, timidly as she moved over next to Corrin.

"He wanted me to be perfect…the perfect little soldier for him. I think he wanted to turn me into a mindless killer. Whenever I fell short of his expectations or disobeyed him…" Kamui's eyes dropped and he just shifted his arm around as he pulled bandages out and started wrapping his hand again. Corrin wrapped her arms around him but he didn't react to it. She knew he appreciated it though.

"How many times?" Mikoto asked suddenly and Kamui lifted his head up towards her. His hands tightened into fists for a few moments and Corrin squeezed him tighter.

"In the two years…he burned my arm and my hand twenty four times, each time he went further down my hand then to my arm…never to the point of disability though…just enough to hurt and to leave a mark. You've all seen the results…" Kamui explained hollowly as he tightened his bandages on his hand and pulled his armor back over it. Corrin felt her eyes water, her brother sounded…dead.

"You remember all of them?" Mikoto asked, horrified.

"Yes…" Kamui replied as he pulled a new glove over his hand. Then Hinoka suddenly wrenched him out of Corrin's hug and gripped his head and made him face her.

"And no one did anything about it?!" Hinoka asked and Kamui shook his head.

"Did anyone even know?" Ryoma asked, finally adding his own voice. Kamui turned towards their brother and he nodded slowly and Corrin flinched.

"What?" Corrin asked, shocked. If she couldn't notice, then how did anyone else? She was his twin darn it! How could someone else notice something about her own twin that she couldn't?!

"I hid the marks from most of my family. Believe me it wasn't easy to do, especially from Corrin. My older brother and sister know…um…my Nohrian siblings," Corrin saw Hinoka and the others wince at the mention of Xander and Camilla. Right…they probably didn't like hearing them refer to their Nohrian family as siblings.

"You would still call them your family when they did nothing to help you?" Ryoma asked and this time both of the twins flinched. Corrin could feel a little bit of annoyance seep into her. They were treading into a place neither twin was comfortable with.

"Yes…they raised me, looked after me. My big sister was the one who always made sure the burns were treated," Kamui explained simply but Corrin noted that he was tense. Of course Camilla knew, how wouldn't she? She'd notice anything different about them even if it were the smallest detail. But…how did Xander know then? Unless…

"And Prince Xander? What did he do for you?" Ryoma asked and Corrin held her breath. Her twin's head lowered for a moment before he raised it.

"He…he knows about my burns because he was present every time it happened…" Kamui answered and Corrin's eyes closed in sadness. Of course he was, Xander was the Crown Prince, how wouldn't he know what was happening? He was the heir after all.

"He…he just stood there and watched…" Sakura asked, horrified and Kamui lowered his head again.

"Yes…but what could he do?" Kamui asked, depressed. Corrin placed her hand on her brother's shoulder. Xander for all his promises of protecting them, there was one thing he could not actively defend them against. That thing was the King and unfortunately no matter how much he wanted to, he couldn't. After all, he needed to keep favor so that he could continue to drive things from the side as he put it. Sometimes that wasn't enough though obviously.

"What could he do…he should have protected you! That cowardly bastard!" Hinoka exclaimed as she grabbed Kamui and lifted him off of the bed. Even though he was taller than her she still held that strong posture even though she had to look up. Corrin felt Sakura grab her hand and she squeezed her hand back gently to reassure her. She looked towards their mother but she was still sitting in the chair she planted herself in, watching. If she didn't interfere, there was going to be an argument. The silver princess could feel her anger building though at the way her sister insulted her big brother. Xander did all he could for them!

"He couldn't. It was the king, Hinoka, if Xander acted he would have made things worse. He would have gotten punished himself and my punishment would have been worsened," Kamui explained as he grabbed Hinoka's hands and pulled them off his armor. Corrin could tell her brother was getting mad, since she was too.

"So what!? You were family to him right?! He should have fought to help you no matter what! Instead he just stood there like a coward and watched! And what about that girl, you call your older sister? If she knew about your burns then why didn't she try to stop them in the first place instead! Not act like a bit-" there was a loud crack followed by a few gasps.

Kamui had grabbed Hinoka by her tunic and slugged her across the cheek before she could finish her insult. Hinoka was clutching her left cheek in shock more than pain and she looked a little disoriented. She would have fallen to the ground but Kamui was gripping her tunic with his other hand, keeping her from falling. Kamui lifted her up so her face was leveled with his glaring one, actually lifting her feet off the ground. There was no filter now, Corrin's twin was angry.

Corrin was more shocked by the fact that her twin actually struck Hinoka. Kamui was not above hitting for discipline, even when they were kids. Except he rarely did it and even rarer did he actually try to inflict something more than momentary pain. Though Corrin couldn't blame him. She saw the hit coming the moment Hinoka insulted Camilla the first time. Kamui was very close to Camilla after all, Corrin wondered if he was developing a crush on her like Elise was developing one for him. No surprise that he would rise to protect her honor regardless. Even though Camilla was older, he still felt fiercely protective of her.

"Don't you dare call Camilla that word! Camilla is the sweetest and most generous person in the world! She raised both me and Corrin! She taught me how to take care of myself! All of my Nohrian family are good people! We are blood…and I am happy to be reunited with you again. I know you have strong feelings against the people who raised us but don't you dare insult Camilla in my presence…or any of my siblings…" Kamui practically hissed. Corrin wondered what he would have done if they said a word against Elise. Kamui was very protective of their sweet little sister obviously. Corrin might have lost it herself if words were said against Elise too.

Hinoka just stared at him in shock before he dropped her and stormed out of the room. Ryoma and Takumi stepped to the side when he went for the door and no one said anything as he opened the door and slammed it shut behind him. Corrin sighed as reality set in on everyone else in the room. She moved quickly and caught Hinoka by her hand before she could run off after Kamui.

"Don't, my brother should be left alone when he gets like that. Trust me, you don't want to try and kick the nest more than you already have unless you want him to hit you again and trust me he will," Corrin explained and Hinoka's shoulders slumped before she leaned back on the bed again. Sakura moved to her side and raised her hand to her cheek and started healing the bruise Kamui created.

Corrin frowned when she saw Hinoka's eyes water again before she shook her head stubbornly. Sakura's hands were shaking as she healed her and when Corrin looked towards her mother all she saw was sadness. She looked towards her brother's just to see that they were the same as before though Takumi was staring at the door in thought. Corrin sighed as she sat next to her big sister, she winced a little since it was still weird to think that she had more than one now. She knew that she had to cover for her twin though. As angry as she was, she couldn't just let them stew on their own.

"Don't take it too harshly. My twin is just…difficult when it comes to these things. He has a big heart but he's always been a bit distant even with people he likes. He doesn't like being pressed into talking either if you couldn't tell," Corrin explained. Her brother cared so much for everyone that he seemed to forget that someone needed to watch him too, though to be fair he always looked after himself too. No one was infallible though, sometimes it seemed like Kamui thought he was.

"But we're his family. He seemed so happy to see us before…" Sakura replied as she finished healing Hinoka's cheek. Corrin shook her head though and smiled at them.

"He is, trust me that happiness you saw was real. I've never seen my brother open his arms out to someone he barely knows just like that, even if his memories of you returned. Keep in mind my brother is very proud; he detests being coddled and his strength makes him think he doesn't need to be fretted over. Though you just forced him into an uncomfortable position and…you did insult the people who raised us," Corrin added the last part as gently as she could. She was careful not to call them "family" as much as she wanted to. That was going to be a problem eventually she just knew it.

"Perhaps they put some sort of spell on you? I remember hearing that the younger prince of Nohr is quite the dark mage," Takumi asked and Corrin's face-hardened at the thought.

"No…Leo would never do something like that to us. You should stop talking about them like that now. I may be a little more controlled than my twin currently but that doesn't mean I'm above snapping…" Corrin said icily yet respectfully.

"How sad…we've opened ourselves up to both of you but your hearts are still in Nohr…" Mikoto said sadly and Corrin winced a little.

"I'm sorry…we appreciate what you've all done for us. We really do and we're happy that you are all trying so hard to make us feel comfortable. But…we still love our family in Nohr, we're still coming off of the shock and my twin is probably trying to figure out what his memories are. We're in a difficult situation now," Corrin reassured. Raised in Nohr for their entire lives but it turns out their real family was in the other kingdom this entire time. Trouble was bound to come of this, Corrin could see that from a mile away and her twin probably did as well. That might be part of the reason why he stormed off to think, he probably had no idea what to do. Corrin had no idea what to do and if Kamui really was getting his memories back, it must be even harder for him than it was for her.

"I understand, we did not mean to cause you any discomfort," Mikoto assured and Corrin sighed as she lowered herself into a chair. She could sense the worry that filled everyone in the room but they stayed their hand.

"Would you all please leave Corrin and I alone? I would like to speak with her," Mikoto requested.

"Of course," Hinoka answered and apparently it went for all of them since they all filed out of the room. Hinoka and Sakura were the last to leave and Corrin had a feeling they were going to go look for her twin.

"If you seek my twin out, he's probably working off some steam. If you really want to talk to him, be ready to join in," Corrin told them and Hinoka turned to her and gave her a thankful smile before she closed the door, leaving her with the Queen.

"What do you wish to talk about, Mother…" the title still felt weird to Corrin. She believed that she was her mother; it was impossible to deny the truth especially after seeing her use powers that only her twin possessed. She'd never called anyone by that name though, at least none that she could remember. For some reason her twin was remembering things but she couldn't.

"Tell me about your brother," Mikoto said simply as she sat down next to her. Corrin blinked a little before she looked at her mother to see her staring at her intently.

"Pardon?" Corrin asked. She was fine with talking to her mother; they had spoken many times over the past few days but never about her twin. She assumed that she had spoken to Kamui on separate occasions. Then again, she could see her twin opting out of it.

"I have not been able to talk with Kamui in the days that he has been here. Right now I think the only one that might be able to speak to him is you or Hinoka. I want to know my son and as you said, we've proven that we do not understand him fully yet," Mikoto explained and Corrin nodded. There was more to getting her twin to open up but it would definitely help if she tried to make them understand whom he is.

"My twin, is the strongest person I know, even stronger than our big brother…er, both of them. By strong I don't mean martial process, I mean the way he lives his life. In all our years I have never seen him too afraid to do anything, he's not fearless but he has courage, the most I've ever seen I think. Usually he is very understanding and he has always been willing to help me or any of our siblings even if he doesn't exactly want to. He had to be the older sibling when we were younger since our big brother and sister were often stuck in training or studies. He took after both of them quite a bit actually," Corrin explained warmly. Mikoto smiled warmly at that and then she frowned.

"Your brother mentioned that this…Camilla taught him how to take care of himself?" she asked and Corrin nodded.

"Yes, she taught us both how to take care of ourselves, she wanted to make sure we could take care of ourselves if our servants weren't around, especially how to feed ourselves. Though…my brother is the one that actually does most of it since I'm...sleeping usually. It's more than that though, Camilla taught us how to clean, sew and basically do anything we might need in order to take care of ourselves," Corrin said happily. Camilla was always so good to them; she always took care of them.

"You both must care for her very much?" Mikoto asked.

"Of course, she's our big sister, she has looked out for us ever since we-I can remember," Corrin said quickly. Mikoto nodded before she smiled a little slyly and Corrin flinched slightly since that look reminded her of her twin when he was being devious and her twin was rarely devious.

"Your brother sounded a little…passionate about this Camilla. Does he feel something more than simple sibling love for her? Or anyone for that manner?" Mikoto asked, teasingly and Corrin blushed. That was not something she expected to hear at all. She didn't exactly want to talk about her twin's love life; it was his business.

"I…wouldn't know. He's always been close to Camilla and our little sister, Elise. He never showed an interest like that in them though," Corrin said truthfully. Mikoto giggled slightly and Corrin felt like she just said something she wasn't supposed to.

"Oh? So there are two ladies that my son fancies? I must say, I didn't expect that from him, he seems too gentlemanly for polygamy," Mikoto mused and Corrin flushed in embarrassment. Kamui would strangle her if he found out that she accidently convinced their mother he was into polygamy. Either that or he'd dump honey on her head while she slept again.

"I don't know!" Corrin exclaimed suddenly. Mikoto giggled again before she wrapped her arm around her.

"I'm just playing. Don't worry about it, besides...I think someone else has her sights on Kamui and won't remain idle about them for long if at all," Mikoto mused again and Corrin felt nervous again.

"Now then…I believe that you reacted the same way when Takumi brought up this…Leo, correct?" Mikoto asked and Corrin blushed. The image of Leo's face flashed through her mind and she felt like she was going to faint.

"I'm surprised this Leo hasn't had issues with your brother so far. He seems like the overprotecting type," Mikoto teased as she shook her shoulders a bit. Corrin laughed nervously since she didn't know that they practically hated each other when they were little. But onto more pressing matters…her and Leo?

"I-It's not like that!" Corrin exclaimed as she jumped in her seat. She felt her heart flutter a little bit at the thought of Leo. He was so cute with how he tried to act like Xander but ended up falling short because of his small immature tendencies. Wait…cute? Corrin knew she was redder than Hinoka's hair after that.

"So it is true!? Come on, tell me what is he like?" Mikoto pressed as she moved in front of her and grasped her hands tightly. Oh dear, Corrin wished she could phase like her twin at that moment since she knew she wasn't going to be able to get away regardless.

"Or…we could talk more about your twin's love life. That way we-I could help out someone who might have her eyes on him…" Mikoto offered and Corrin's eyes widened. So she was being given an ultimatum, either she would talk about her twin and his feelings towards their Nohrian sisters or she would have to talk about Leo. Both were bad ideas but…as long as Kamui didn't know anything happened…

"Kamui looks up to Camilla like a role model and he guards Elise like a dragon…and there was this girl that he met at a ball in Cyrkensia around a year ago, he still mentions her from time to time, I think she was a songstress…" Corrin said bashfully. Mikoto paused at that last one and she seemed disturbed.

"I'm sorry, did you say he met a girl in Cyrkensia?" Mikoto asked, confused.

"Well yes, we were both taken to a ball and well, Kamui ended up dancing with the songstress that was performing there. I think Kamui took a liking to her since he still mentions her, I know he always asks the others if they see her when they pass by Cyrkensia," Corrin explained and Mikoto looked thoughtful for a moment before she smiled.

"Um…Mother?" Corrin asked, not sure if she should feel worried or happy. She had a feeling she just put her twin in a bad position.

"Sorry dear, I just thought that was a bit romantic. So tell me, how did they meet? Tell me about these other two as well," Mikoto asked and Corrin felt a little hesitant again since she really didn't want Kamui to find out they were talking about this but she sighed and moved forward.

"Well I saw her approach him and after talking for a bit they danced…it was actually quite nice. They seemed to move very well together even though they had never seen each other before…"

* * *

 **Kamui's POV**

Kamui slashed his blades through the air in one motion, practicing his form but he paused half way through the motion and stood straight. He felt a pull in the back of his mind like something was happening. He felt the strange urge to check up on his twin but he passed it aside as nothing. He still had his sequences to go through, it was the only way he could think clearly…after he lost his temper. He squared his stance and lifted his two blades into their usual place and then after a few moments he began going through his sequences again.

He was training in the garden, under the cherry blossom trees as the Hoshi-his people called them. Even though it was starting to snow already he didn't really mind, he hated it whenever it rained but the snow, he enjoyed the snow. They told him that their petals were all falling off because of the winter air but that they would regrow when spring hit. They were preparing for a celebration actually while the cherry blossoms were still around. It was some kind of winter holiday that Kamui was not very familiar with. Winter in Nohr was basically the same as Fall. He vaguely remembered the holiday in Hoshido. There were two parties, one in the palace and one in the town. He remembered going to the one in the town with Hinoka and Ryoma, vaguely anyway. The memories were vivid now but they were still coming slowly.

Regardless he trained there instead of the training grounds because he wanted to train on ground that wasn't controlled. His fights at the canyon and in the snow proved that he was not used to fighting on grounds that were more nature influenced. He was still deadly but he was still not as good as he should have been. Xander did say that training could only take someone so far. Experience in a real fight would teach more than a year of drilling. He'd brushed it off until then; of course Xander would know that, he was the one of the best warriors he knew. His thoughts drifted to his family in Nohr an-

"Damn it…" Kamui cursed as his foot slipped a little on the moist grass and he had to break his sequence to maneuver his foot so he wouldn't fall. He growled in annoyance as he stuck his wakizashi into the ground and gripped his head with his now free hand. He wiped his sweat from his face and threw his head back to sigh and enjoy the cool winter breeze. Unlike Nohr the winter air there felt a little more…comforting and less cruel. Though he attributed that with the fact that he felt at peace there.

"Elise…Leo…Camilla…Xander…" Kamui thought sadly of his family in Nohr. His happiness over gaining real memories of his time in Hoshido had been dashed after his burned hand had been revealed. New terrors had taken the place of the old ones. He had discovered his care for his Hoshido family but his family in Nohr was still there and they were probably looking for him and Corrin.

The two kingdoms were at war and now they had been forced into the middle, literally. There was no way Garon would go for peace. Those beasts they faced in the snow were proof of that. Ryoma explained they were creatures with no souls that could breach the barrier around the kingdom. Kamui was intrigued by the fact that the barrier could make enemies lose the will to fight but it was overshadowed by the fact that those creatures came from Nohr.

His hand burned as if the wounds were fresh. Memories of the King's maniacal laughter and the sting of the flames were raw in his mind like they just happened yesterday. He remembered how he pleaded to Xander the first few times to help him only for those pleas to go unanswered every time. Xander's horrified and ashamed face as he watched on, doing nothing. The tears that fell from Camilla's cheeks whenever she treated his hand were fresh in his mind as well. Kamui felt anger well up within him but he suppressed it.

"What do I do?" Kamui thought as he picked his wakizashi up and leaned against the tree he was training under. After a few moments he pushed off and started going through his sequences again.

He couldn't turn his back on his Nohrian family but he wanted to get to know his Hohsidan family. The connection to the land itself was very strong on him and he felt connections to all of his family, even Takumi. He felt a very noticeable connection to Hinoka especially and his memories only strengthened that pull. It felt similar yet different to the connection he had with Camilla and even Elise. Well actually it felt closer to the connection he shared with Camilla if he was any judge.

"Oh gods…" Kamui sighed as the memory of him striking Hinoka in front of everyone ran through his mind. He didn't want to hit her but the things she was saying about Camilla. His blood boiled so much when she started saying those things he just reacted. Growing up, there were so many people that had said rather unflattering things about Camilla and he hated it. His big sister was tough but he knew that she was a little hurt by the comments. She was very beautiful but that same beauty seemed to attract the wrong kind of comments. She'd always told him that his firey urge to protect would get him in trouble and look what happened, she was right.

Kamui miss stepped and fell to a knee in the middle of his sequence. He grunted as his knee hit the ground hard but he just grit his teeth to prevent himself from crying out. He'd suffered far worse in training, something like that wouldn't stop him. Darn it though, his thoughts were keeping him from even focusing on the issues at hand. Nothing had been decided except for the fact that he had to apologize to Hinoka. He sighed as he stood back up but he heard someone approaching him from behind. He knew it wasn't Corrin since she knew he didn't like to be bothered when he was training like that.

"I would like to be alone…" Kamui said as he turned to face who had approached him only to react in surprise when he saw a Naginata coming right at his face. He pushed the spear away with his waskizashi and parried it with his katana before he backed off a bit. His eyes widened when he realized who his attacker was though.

"Hinoka?!" Kamui exclaimed. His sister just twirled her spear over her head and pointed it at him with a confident smirk. Kamui almost felt his skin crawl a little in fear, it reminded him a little of an animal poised to strike.

"Aren't you training? Why don't I help?" Hinoka asked before she lunged at him before he could do anything. He wanted to talk to her not fight her! Kamui deflected her spear again but then she just used the momentum to spin her spear around. The move was so fast he barely registered the blunt end of the spear coming at his other side but it was too late. The side of his head flared in pain and he felt his knees hit the ground as he used his blades to hold himself from falling. He shook his head to clear the dizziness from his vision and looked up to see the sharp end of Hinoka's spear at his throat.

"Now we're even…though I have to say I am disappointed. I was expecting a better fight from the one who inherited the King's swords. I guess that battle in the snow was just a fluke…" Hinoka taunted rather smugly.

Kamui glared at her for that. Her grin widened when he did that and then Kamui smiled slightly before he let go of his shorter blade and phased. Hinoka jolted in surprise when he phased past her spear, on his feet. He grabbed her spear before she could pull back and tugged her forward and placed his katana at her throat before she could react.

"You were saying?" Kamui asked teasingly. She wanted to fight? He was more than happy to oblige her, especially if she wanted to goad him. Hinoka chuckled slightly before she patted his hand lightly and he pulled away.

"Fine…let's have a full match then. No surprise attacks and no hesitations," Hinoka said and Kamui nodded. He found himself appreciating the fact that she was willing to throw herself into his training to get close to him. Generally when he snapped he wanted to be alone, though Hinoka seemed intent on not letting him get away so easily like he would have in Nohr. Especially since she had every right to be mad at him for hitting her. Then again, she did say they were even after she hit him in the head.

"You're on…" Kamui said as he teleported back to his wakizashi and drew it from the ground. His mind set on a goal, he squared his stance and held his blades up in their usual positions.

"You're going down, Little Brother…" Hinoka teased as she hefted her naginata effortlessly. Kamui's cheeks burned a little at the rather teasing way she called him little brother. It sounded different from the normal affectionate way he was used to hearing it. It was still affectionate but it was different, Kamui didn't know if he liked that.

"Here I come!" Hinoka shouted as she charged him. Kamui narrowed his eyes and threw his wakizashi at her, he needed to get in her guard otherwise she would just use her spear's reach against him. Hinoka narrowed her eyes though and strafed to the left right as Kamui teleported to his sword. He brought his blade down but she easily blocked it much to his annoyance. She pushed against him and since he was in the air he had no way to resist effectively. He phased down to the ground and tried to sweep her legs out but she jumped over it and brought her weapon down on him. He crossed his two blades and caught the spear in them. Hinoka huffed and raised her hand and beat it down into the shaft to force it down but Kamui held strong and managed to rise back up to his feet. Then the two just started pushing, trying to get the other to concede.

Kamui and Hinoka smiled at each other though as they both pushed against each other. They were both having fun, Kamui could tell that much. Sure it was a little dangerous for them to be using their real weapons but they were skilled enough not to do anything too bad. Besides, his sister was keeping up with him and making him try hard. He couldn't help himself at this point and apparently Hinoka couldn't either.

"I have to say, you're doing better than most…almost no one is able to predict my phasing like that…" Kamui said as he phased to the left suddenly, making Hinoka stumble forward. Then he slashed towards her gut with his katana, fully intending to stop before anything bad could happen. Except right as his blade would have touched her tunic she slammed her naginata into the ground and used it to flip over the strike.

"You're doing better than I expected too, Brother!" Hinoka used her new height to deliver a kick to the prince's back. Kamui stumbled forward a bit before he turned his wakizashi around in a reverse grip and used the momentum to spin around towards Hinoka in a quick slash. Hinoka edged out of the strike but Kamui kept the momentum going and spun around to bring his katana to bear. Unfortunately Hinoka ducked under the blade just barely but then Kamui smiled as he lifted his left leg up and kicked her side.

"Ah!" Hinoka lost her footing for a moment but before Kamui could capitalize on it, she caught herself and grabbed her spear around the lower portion and swung it over her head in a large sweep. Kamui phased out of the way and backed out of her range and readjusted into his stance. Hinoka twirled her spear back to its normal position and returned to her own stance. They held that stance for a bit, unmoving. They both smiled again as they prepared themselves for more. But before they could start again, a small cry interrupted them.

"Hinoka! Kamui! What are you doing!? Use the training weapons for that!" Kamui and Hinoka both jolted and looked towards the walls to see Sakura run out from one of the doors towards them. Kamui chuckled, embarrassed as he relaxed and sheathed his blades. Hinoka did something similar as she hefted her spear on her shoulder. Sakura paused in front of Kamui though and it clicked in his head a moment later and he laughed.

"It's ok…I'm fine now," he meant it too. That spar was really what he needed to clear his head and get rid of stress even if it wasn't concluded yet. Sakura flushed but she smiled before she started checking him for injuries. Then she started doing the same thing to Hinoka. After she decided they were both fine she gave them a small scolding but it didn't really work since she was stuttering the whole time in a cute way.

"You're even stronger than I thought you would be, Brother. I knew you would be a true samurai despite everything but this is beyond what I hoped," Hinoka praised as she placed a hand on Kamui's shoulder. Kamui smiled at that but then he frowned as another thought came to him and he quickly engulfed her in a hug, much to her surprise.

"W-What's this all of a sudden?!" Hinoka yelped.

"I'm sorry…" Kamui said as he held her and she instantly froze and sighed before she wrapped her arms around him too and leaned her head against his chest.

"You shouldn't be sorry…I insulted the people who took care of you for most of your life. I probably would have reacted the same way if someone started saying anything against Ryoma or the others…" Hinoka mumbled as she clutched onto him. Kamui smiled and leaned down to kiss her head and then he felt Hinoka tense and bury her head into his chest.

"Silly Brother…what I have to go through to get a hug…" she mumbled. Kamui smiled a bit and flicked her head, making her yelp and pull away from him.

"You're cute when you try to be subtle…I heard that you know," Kamui teased and Hinoka turned away from him and crossed her arms in a huff. She was no Camilla but the desire to hug him was there, apparently some big sisters share some things.

"Um…Onii-San, Mother sent me out here to tell you that its time for dinner…" Sakura said shyly. Kamui smiled at his little sister and nodded before he held his hand out to her.

"Well let's get going then, Imouto-San," Kamui said fondly and Sakura smiled and took his hand and they walked off.

"Hey wait up!" Hinoka exclaimed, apparently she wasn't paying attention the whole time. He felt her basically glomp his back, forcing him to let go of Sakura so he could support her.

"You're mean, Otooto-san…" Hinoka mumbled as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Kamui chuckled slightly and grabbed her legs and adjusted her so he could carry her back. He had flashes of something similar happening when they were younger and he just smiled.

"Only because you want me to, Onee-San…" Kamui teased as he carried her along through the halls. He expected Hinoka to jump off but she didn't for the whole walk, even when they got to the dining room.

"I found them mother!" Sakura announced as she entered the room first followed by Kamui and Hinoka. At that point though Kamui wished he told Hinoka to get down before he went inside since everyone was staring at them.

"Crap…" Kamui thought, thankfully none of them started laughing, except for one. He let out a sigh when Corrin started laughing and he grumbled as he let Hinoka down.

"Trying to relive past memories, Hinoka?" Ryoma asked, amused and Hinoka blushed before she muttered something and pulled Kamui along to sit next to her at the table. Kamui found himself sitting in between Hinoka and his mother while his twin sat on the other side of their mother. Sakura, Ryoma and Takumi sat across from them. Kamui blinked when he saw that there was a seat missing next to Sakura.

"Are we missing someone?" Kamui asked and the others all shifted at that.

"Ah, Azura doesn't always come to eat at the same time as us. She's usually training around the time that we all eat. We keep her seat open though just in case she does come to eat with us," his mother explained and Takumi scoffed.

"It's better that way," he said snidely.

"Takumi!" Ryoma chided and the younger sibling wilted slightly under his elder brother's harsh tone. Kamui felt satisfied at that.

"Azura? Is she one of our sisters too?" Corrin asked, Kamui was wondering that too.

"No, not quite. We do consider her part of the family but she came to us a bit differently," Mikoto explained but Takumi scoffed.

"We're supposed to treat her that way anyway…" Hinoka glared at Takumi who turned away out of anger or fear, Kamui couldn't tell. He glanced towards Sakura who seemed a little embarrassed while Ryoma was simply stoic. Then he glanced at his mother to see that she was a little disheartened.

"So…adopted then?" Corrin asked to try and break the tension.

"That would be the most appropriate way to classify it. You would need to ask her yourself if you want to hear more about it. It's her story to tell," Ryoma answered. That was rather…mysterious; Kamui wondered who this person really was. Takumi didn't seem to like her and Kamui's petty side immediately gave the unknown girl points for that.

"Don't worry, you'll meet her in time. I have a feeling she'll take to you two just fine," Mikoto explained and Kamui looked at his twin to see her mirroring his unsure expression.

"Mother, are we going to have Ramen tonight?" Sakura asked after a few moments. That seemed to have an effect on everyone.

"What's that?" Corrin asked. Kamui wanted to ask what that was too, his siblings seemed to think it was good from the bright looks on their faces.

"No we are not…only Corrin and Kamui get some…" Mikoto said calmly and Kamui literally saw everyone's face drop in some way. Even Ryoma looked rather saddened.

"But Mother! That's not fair!" Sakura whined and Kamui sweat dropped.

"At least little sisters are the same…"

* * *

 **Both Twins POV**

"So how are you feeling now, Kamui?" Corrin asked as she and her twin walked through the garden of the palace. The snow had given the entire place a bit of white coating. One would think the twins were freezing since their bare feet were walking along the cold surface but it didn't phase them. It was just natural to them for whatever reason.

"I definitely feel better than I was. Dinner with the family helped," Kamui replied as he looked up into the night sky. Even though it was snowing, the light of the moon still managed to shine through the clouds.

"Hinoka must have been very persuasive if she managed to break into your little brooding bubble," Corrin teased and Kamui shrugged.

"You could say that…" Kamui replied, smiling at the memory of how his sister bluntly interrupted his so called "brooding" time.

"What about you? Mother seemed pretty happy when we got to dinner, I feel like I missed something important," Kamui commented and Corrin chuckled nervously.

Dinner with the entire family was great. The food was different from what they were used to but it was still good to the twins. Though they did get some dirty looks from their siblings when they got to eat the so-called ramen. Aside from that Kamui in particular got a few more flashes of memories having to do with the food but he didn't bring them up. The first few minutes were spent teasing Kamui and Hinoka since Kamui was forced to carry her inside. Hinoka was surprisingly content though and Corrin sweat dropped at the implication. In Nohr it was normal to see Kamui carrying Elise around on his back so he was able to brush it off that kind of embarrassment, Hinoka not so much. Besides, the tables were turned though when Kamui started telling stories of Corrin's little "incidents" when they were younger. Corrin was absolutely livid with him for that but it still felt good to be in a happy atmosphere. It was almost just like ho-Nohr.

The conversation turned to the celebration they were going to have though. It was going to take place in just a few days and apparently the twins were going to be taken around the festivities by Hinoka and Sakura. The queen and Ryoma had to attend to the activities in the palace and Takumi was apparently too moody to go with them. Corrin had half a mind to drag him with them since she could see he wanted to go with them but it was his choice at the end of the day. Most of it was going to be simple festivities on big scales. The big event, besides the ball in the town square was supposed to be a song from a very talented songstress. The twins were actually quite excited since it was going to be something new.

"Well you know, she just wanted to talk to me about girl things. I'm her daughter after all…" Corrin threw out deceptively and Kamui tilted his head in the way that usually signaled he didn't buy it but he shrugged. It was probably nothing…or he'd find out later and dish out his revenge. He always did find out, it was eerie how that worked and infuriating for Corrin. They came to a stop under one of the trees and looked up at the moon together for a few moments as a more serious mood fell over them.

"So…I didn't get to ask before but, are you really remembering Hoshido?" Corrin asked as she looked towards her twin. Kamui's head lowered back down and slowly a smile worked its way onto his face.

"Yes…I really do. I was skeptical at first but I am remembering things. These people are our family and Hoshido is where we were first brought up," Kamui said warmly, he really meant those words too.

"Do you not remember anything?" Kamui asked, and Corrin nodded. She believed that these people were her real family but without concrete memories, it was still hard for her to care for them as much as she cared for her family in Nohr. She did care for them but she had only known them for roughly a week at this point. She couldn't compare years of love to only a few weeks, no matter how much she might want to. It wasn't fair to Xander and the others but it wasn't fair for her…mother and her "real" family either.

"That's strange…" Kamui said as he crossed his arms in thought. They hadn't had any time to really ask anyone who might have any idea of what exactly is going on, everything just happened so fast. This was the first point that they were able to calm down and think about things in some time.

"I don't suppose knocking my head against a photo book would help?" Corrin asked, cheekily and Kamui laughed. When she was younger, really young, Corrin used to beat her head against books since she thought that was how she could pass the knowledge into her head. It was as funny as it was worrying. There was a time where Kamui did do things that were dumb in retrospective and that was one of them. Kamui, Leo and Elise thought that it might actually be true until Camilla told them that was not how it worked. Kamui never followed Corrin without thinking again. Though the headaches kept coming.

"Seriously though, Corrin I am sure of it now. These memories feel real and my heart remembers them even if my mind hasn't quite caught up yet. Even if it means accepting what I did…" Kamui sighed at the last bit as the memory of the battle at the canyon ran through his mind. Corrin frowned at him though before she let out a small laugh.

"I thought you were supposed to be the one who advised caution and I was the one who just followed my heart?" Corrin asked and Kamui reached out to flick her but she caught his hand this time.

"You act like you're not following your heart now," Kamui replied as he pulled his hand free and they shared a small laugh. Except after a few moments the somber mood returned.

"So…since we both believe that we're really from here, what are we going to do about Nohr?" Corrin asked. They had both been pushing this talk away but now they had to face it since they had accepted the truth laid bare before them. What were they supposed to do now though?

"I…I don't know," Kamui didn't know what else to say besides that.

"The kingdoms are at war or they might as well be," Kamui sighed as he walked out from under the tree.

"King Garon wants to conqueror Hoshido. There's no way Xander and the others want this conflict," Corrin said.

"I know, that's what makes this difficult. You know this as well as I do, King Garon controls everything in Nohr, even Xander can not directly disobey him while he is in his presence," Kamui replied, he knew that better than his twin, after all he had the scars to prove it. Corrin sighed as she wiped her hand through her hair in frustration.

"Then what do we do? We can't just abandon them, they raised us and they love us. So what if we aren't blood, they are still our family," Corrin threw out and Kamui crossed his arms again.

"I know that, but I don't know what to do. Either way we'll be damning one," Kamui sighed as he shook his head. Images of Leo went through Corrin's mind and both Elise and Camilla went through Kamui's. Except now there were images of their Hoshidian family there as well. What were they supposed to do? Could they really turn their backs on the people who raised them? Could they turn their backs on the people they were stolen from? Memories ran through Kamui's head to the point that it gave him a headache. It was like there was some kind of wall in the way whenever he tried to think about them too much.

 _"You are the Ocean's Grey Waves…"_ whatever thoughts the twins had were cut off immediately when they heard that voice. Corrin didn't recognize the voice at all but Kamui felt a small tug in the back of his head like he had heard the voice before…yet he couldn't place it. They both looked around for the source until they looked towards the small lake in the garden to see a lone figure standing at the edge of the water.

"Is she the one, singing?" they both thought as they approached.

 _"Destined to seek the life beyond the shore, just out of reach…"_ sure enough the same voice came from the figure. It was obviously a girl from the tone and as they got closer, Corrin realized that it was the same girl she saw when they first got to Hoshido. She could never forget a girl with blue hair like that. It was unique like Camilla's purple hair or the snowy white hair of the twins. As they got closer though the girl tensed and turned towards them. She had eyes that were gold like the coins they used as currency except brighter. Her eyes widened as she saw them and then they focused on Kamui specifically for a few moments but before Kamui could comment on it, she spoke.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't notice you there," the blue haired girl greeted as her gaze averted between them equally. The twins shared a look before they turned back to the strange girl.

"It's quite all right, we just heard you and came to see who it was," Corrin replied with a smile and Kamui nodded. The girl flinched again and blushed in embarrassment before she rubbed her hands together.

"Oh…how far away were you when you heard me?" she asked nervously.

"We were in the gardens already…we were at the opposite side of the gardens though…" Corrin said slowly and the blue haired girl slumped her shoulders and sighed. Then she straightened up and smiled at them politely. Wait…Corrin remembered hearing one of the guards talking about a ghost haunting the halls at night because they heard a voice projecting through the halls…could she be…?

"Of course…You two must be Prince Kamui and Princess Corrin. Apologies, my name is Azura…I used to be a princess of Nohr," the girl now named Azura said. The twins were both surprised by that news.

"Used to?" Corrin asked.

"How is this possible? We grew up in Nohr but we never heard of you…" Kamui continued off of his twin's thoughts. Azura shook her head sadly at that.

"I'm afraid I have been in Hoshido for a long time. I believe I was taken shortly after Nohr took you. Hoshido tried desperately to rescue you both from Nohr but they were never able to do it. I suppose they took me back instead…" Azura explained and the twins were confused greatly by that information. The first thing that went through their minds was that there was no way Xander and Camilla didn't know about her. They were the same age as Ryoma and Hinoka yet those two remembered the twins even though they had not seen them in over ten years. Perhaps Camilla and Xander just didn't want to talk about it?

Then again, Kamui knew about how the children of the king were forced to kill each other. There used to be more than fifty of them though. Used to being the key phrase, Kamui would know since he had to kill more than a few of them; he couldn't imagine how many Xander and Camilla had to kill. They all nearly drowned in a pool of blood that they had to pull themselves out of. Kamui never stopped thanking the gods that Corrin, Leo and Elise never had to partake in the messed up game the king's mistress's created. He was just happy he managed to shield them from it altogether. He knew Camilla and Xander wanted to shield him but it was too late.

"I see, I'm so sorry that you got dragged into this mess," Corrin said and Kamui frowned too. It was their capture that brought that on Azura after all but surprisingly she just smiled.

"No need to worry. I have lived a very happy life here. The Hoshidians have accepted me as one of their own and I am aloud to roam the kingdom as I wish though I prefer to stay in the capital where my siblings are. Queen Mikoto even treats me as her own daughter, I couldn't ask for a better family," Azura explained and that got the twins thinking again. It was like hearing their own lives repeated back to them, except a little nicer since Garon was anything but a father figure to them and they certainly were not aloud to roam as they wished. Then there was the issues Kamui experienced…

"I see that's good to hear…" Corrin said gratefully. At least there was another positive towards the Hoshidians.

"Did something happen between you and the Queen? Or the other Hoshidians?" Azura asked curiously.

"No, but we've only been here for roughly a week yet everyone has been so accepting and loving. They're practically throwing themselves at us. I just don't know if I feel as strongly for them as I do for our family in Nohr though," Corrin answered except Kamui disagreed.

"I am remembering our earlier years in Hoshido and I feel a connection to our family already. It is almost like I woke up from a dream," Kamui answered and the twins shared a look before turning back to Azura.

"I see, I suppose that makes sense. You both make fine points. I care for the people that raised me yet I am still curious about the family I left behind. I suspect I would react the same way you have Corrin, if I couldn't remember them. I remember very little of my time in Nohr and I only vaguely recall my siblings there," Azura said and the twins nodded though it was a little troubling to them that they shared a different outlook on the situation, it was rare that the twins did that.

"It doesn't change the situation though. We both still miss our family in Nohr but we care for the people here now as well," Kamui said and Azura nodded.

"Do you think you could leave everything you've ever known behind and live in a place with people you barely know that are supposed to be your real family?" Corrin asked. If anyone could offer them advice it would be her, since she had the same story as them. Azura tilted her head and closed her eyes for a few moments before she shook her head.

"I do not know. I believe that I would choose to remain in Hoshido since it's the kingdom I know. Unlike you two I have not experienced the other side as much as you have so I am a little biased right now. Though I will say that I prefer Queen Mikoto's leadership. She is a peaceful ruler and King Garon is not from what I remember and hear. In the end if your heart is telling you something, you should follow it. Otherwise you'll regret it for the rest of your life," Azura answered and the twins took her words to heart. Loyalty and birthright were the two things that came to their minds.

"It is getting late, perhaps you should both turn in for now. The Winter Festival is in a few says and I'm sure you both want to prepare. Your mother will probably want to get you both ready for it," Azura suggested and the twins both nodded slowly. Though they noticed Azura's gaze linger on Kamui for a bit too long than necessary before she turned away.

"Of course…"

* * *

 **Here you guys go! Stay tuned for the Christmas themed chapter!**


	9. Another Family

I don't own Fire Emblem

 **Hey everyone, another quick chapter for all of you. Christmas is here and I want to wish you a Merry Christmas or a Happy Holidays! I know it's late in the day but still, Merry Christmas! This is my gift to you I hope you guys enjoy it! Here come the shipping teases!**

Chapter 8: Another Family

* * *

 **Corrin's POV**

Corrin looked at herself in the mirror as she admired the kimono she was wearing. She was wearing a long black kimono with gold detailing and gold flower petals decorating it. Her hair was put in a ponytail towards the right side of her head and she had a new golden headband in her hair. It felt odd wearing a dress, or something other than her armor. It had been years since she made the transition to wearing her armor on a daily basis. It felt good to feel pretty again, she had not felt that way since the ball about a year ago. Corrin toyed with the idea of showing off some of her cleavage like Camilla would but she was way to embarrassed to try that.

The time of the winter festival had arrived and Corrin hoped she was dressed up enough for the part. Her mother picked the clothes out so she trusted her. After all they spent the entire morning getting it sized for her. It was not particularly nice since she had to stand in place for hours until they could figure out what color would look nice on her. The festival was held during the later time of the day, after the sun went down so they took their time.

"Are you ready, Kamui?" Corrin asked as she picked up the small umbrella given to her by her mother, it was supposed to help her look alluring she said. Corrin blushed at that, why would she want to look that way? She just thought it was cute. She took a small moment to look around the room that was supposed to be her early childhood and she sighed, as she still couldn't remember anything. The drawings on the walls were obviously made by her or Kamui, she'd recognize their childish drawing anywhere but still nothing. Even after over a week of spending her nights there, still nothing came.

"Yes, how do I look?" her twin asked as he stepped out from the small makeshift wall they put up for him. It wasn't exactly needed since they'd been living in the same room for years. They wanted to be surprised by how they looked in their new clothes. Boy did it work.

Kamui's clothes did not have as many designs on them by they were a lot more regal than Corrin's. He wore a white yukata and white hakama pants. Then he wore a long sleeved white haori with gold detailing and white fur at the collar. His hands were both covered by white gloves so that way his bandaged hand wouldn't be seen. He also had hoshidian graves on his feet though he made sure to remove the portion that would have covered his feet. Then he had samurai fault armor over the sides of his thighs and of course he had his two blades attached to his belt. His hair was untouched except for being combed somewhat. The look suited him nicely; Corrin would be the first to say that.

"Well?" he asked as he crossed his arms. Corrin giggled slightly before she nodded.

"It looks good on you, you really fit the warrior prince image," Corrin complimented and Kamui nodded gratefully before he smiled at her slyly.

"You look very beautiful, Corrin. I think I'm going to have to stick by you the whole night to keep any unwanted patrons off of you," Kamui joked and they both shared a laugh. Corrin had a feeling he was going to be too busy with Hinoka to do anything though. It was all right, she'd be with Sakura and she had her magic if she needed to do anything. Corrin found it a little odd that they would be holding the main festivities at night though she supposed there was a good reason for that. She'd just have to wait and see when she went out into the town.

"Charmer…" Corrin teased and her twin rolled his eyes before he motioned towards the door.

"One of us has to be. They're probably waiting for us," Kamui said and Corrin nodded before they both went to the door. They shared a look before Corrin grabbed the screen door and pulled it open to hear a series of gasps. Corrin blushed as she saw the rather surprised faces of their family, minus Ryoma who only had a small smile.

"You both look amazing!" their mother gushed and Corrin blushed in embarrassment and her twin shuffled bashfully. Their mother was wearing the same thing she always wore but she had a big proud smile on her face as she gazed at Corrin and her brother. Corrin looked towards the rest of her siblings to see their reactions.

Ryoma simply has a small smile on his face and he was dressed how he normally was. No need for improvement, Corrin could agree on that, he already looked regal. Takumi had a rather amusing expression, his mouth was literally agape and it made Corrin blush since he was staring at her. He wore a blue robe and his usual yakama along with a large fur cloak draped around his shoulders. He looked like a hunter. Corrin went up to him and closed his mouth manually.

"That's rude…" Corrin said and Takumi blushed before he turned his head away. Corrin giggled before she turned towards her sister's and she nearly squealed. Sakura blushed and turned away bashfully.

"You look so cute!" Corrin gushed as she hugged her little siser. Sakura was wearing a cute red kimono with pink flowers decorating it and her hair was done up similarly to their mother's. She had one of those cute umbrellas like Corrin and her usual shy nature just made it irresistible to hug her.

"Stop! It's embarrassing!" Sakura whined cutely but she seemed rather content in the hug. Corrin giggled, as she looked towards her other sister only to tilt her head in confusion.

Hinoka was wearing a beautiful red and white kimono. The right side of her kimono was white and as it moved to the left it started turning red. She had feather designs on her kimono, Pegasus feathers probably. She had a small fan with her instead of an umbrella like Corrin and Sakura. She looked gorgeous though and Corrin thought she looked beautiful already. Her hair was straightened out a tad as opposed to the usual semi-unkempt way she kept it and she actually put some makeup on to emphasize her eyes. In Corrin's opinion if she wanted to look pretty she didn't need the makeup. More importantly though Hinoka seemed off like she wasn't exactly paying attention.

"Um…Hinoka?" Corrin asked. Sakura let out a small giggle and their mother laughed. Corrin followed Hinoka's eyes and she had to cover her mouth to keep herself from laughing. Hinoka was staring right at Kamui, who looked very uncomfortable.

"Onee-Chan!" Kamui exclaimed and Hinoka jolted and blinked for a few moments. Then she blushed in embarrassment and flicked her fan out to cover her face.

"You could have just said I looked nice instead of staring…" Kamui said, embarrassed as he turned his head away. His cheeks were so red, Corrin almost thought he was going to faint. Her twin was even more unused to being stared at like that than Corrin was. Corrin always knew she was considered pretty but the only one who called Kamui handsome was Camilla usually.

"Sorry, Otooto-Kun…" Hinoka mumbled, embarrassed as well. Corrin giggled at their antics, she also found it cute how they started using different honorifics when they referred to each other in Hohsido language. Kamui sighed before he went up to Hinoka and cleared his throat. Hinoka lowered her fan a bit so her eyes were peering at him and Corrin really had to admit that was cute.

"You look very beautiful, Hinoka-Chan," Kamui said fondly and Hinoka flushed redder than her hair before she went forward and beat her hand against his chest gently.

"Silly Otooto-Kun! Stop saying those things!" Hinoka exclaimed and this time everyone shared a laugh, even Takumi though he tried to mask it as a cough.

"If you are all ready, you should all head out into town. Azura is going to be preforming very soon and the ball is going to take place soon after," their mother said with barely contained amusement.

"Are you coming with us, Takumi-San? I can only assume you changed your mind since you're dressed up?" Corrin asked, teasingly and Takumi flinched before he mumbled something out that Corrin couldn't hear.

"Speak up," Kamui chided and Takumi glared at him but he wilted when Kamui glared right back at him. Ryoma let out a small laugh at that.

"Such a firey glare, Kamui. You best speak up before he tries to burn holes through your head," Ryoma said, amused. Takumi grumbled a bit before he turned back towards them.

"I would like to accompany you to the festival," Takumi said like it was the hardest thing in the world. Corrin giggled and grabbed Takumi's arm, making him jolt.

"Would you be my escort then, Little Brother?" Corrin asked, teasingly and Takumi blushed scarlet before he nodded silently.

"Hinoka?" Kamui asked as he offered his arm to her. Corrin giggled as their big sister blushed and took Kamui's arm shyly but she had a big smile on her face. Kamui was blushing too but he looked a little more pleased than anything. This was a time to be happy after all. That would be leaving Sakura alone though she didn't seem to mind that much.

"We should get going," Sakura said simply and everyone nodded.

"Have fun out there. Some of our retainers will be present so if anything happens, they'll be there," Ryoma said.

"Have fun and enjoy yourselves!" Mikoto chimed in as she gave them all a hug before they were sent on their way. They parted ways with the Queen and High Prince there and made their way to the gates.

"So what should we expect?" Corrin asked as she hugged Takumi's arm. He was grouchy like Leo but nowhere near as bad though that might have been because she grew up with Leo. Takumi was a little tamer, at least to Corrin. He was like a big teddy bear. Unlike Leo, he didn't pull away when she hugged him. It was cute, he just wanted to be hugged by her.

"Well there's a bunch of food stands and games. The big events are going to be Azura's song followed by a ball in the square," Sakura said as she led the four down the halls.

"Is this the first time Azura has sung?" Corrin asked.

"No, she started singing at the festival about three years ago. The people love her. Her songs are also very beautiful, you'd be surprised to know that she writes her own music, at least she claims that," Hinoka explained. Corrin nodded at that, she didn't get to talk to Azura that much since she excused herself from the conversation they had when they formally met and she barely saw her over the course of the past few days. Though to be fair Corrin was busy helping her mother get things ready for the festival.

"Is the dance any specific theme?" Kamui asked as they walked towards the gates.

"It's mostly based on the rhythm of the music. It's mostly just for fun though there are times when a couple might steal the show," Hinoka replied and Corrin shared a look with her twin. They both shared a smile before they continued on their way. They continued to talk about other things concerning the festival as they made their way down the steps of the palace. It wasn't until they could see the town that Corrin could see just exactly why they held the festival at night.

"Oh wow…" Corrin thought. Despite the fact that it was snowing still, the capital town looked like it wasn't affected by it at all. The entire town was lit up. When they reached the town itself it was almost as bright as it was during the day but that was the least of the wonders.

The entire place was decorated with lights and green trees with lit up stars on them. There were even more people than usual in the streets and they were all dressed up similarly to Corrin and her siblings except not quite as nice. There were also dozens of stands around the entire place, whether they were selling food or trinkets didn't really matter to Corrin. Everything was so lively; it was unlike anything she'd ever experienced before. Even her first experience in Hoshido paled in comparison to this.

"Let's go get something to eat before we run to the square!" Hinoka exclaimed over the voices of the crowd. It was a wonder the five were able to stay together at all with how crowded it was. Corrin ended up getting squished against Takumi as they wormed their way through the crowds. It was interesting how they didn't just part for them, in Nohr they would have parted before they got within ten feet.

"Omph! Anything in particular?" Corrin asked as she gripped Takumi's arm tight so that she wouldn't get separated from him.

"How about that one?" Kamui asked as he and Hinoka led the way through the crowd towards a stall that Corrin assumed he picked randomly. Though she couldn't argue with the pick since the food smelled delicious.

"Takoyaki?" Corrin heard Takumi say. Corrin peered into the stall to see what looked like a bunch of spheres covered in spices, sitting on a plate while a couple were being pulled from a pan. The smell was very tantalizing though to Corrin and she felt her stomach rumble a little. She shared a look with her twin before she tugged on Takumi's arm.

"Good pick, Kamui. Takoyaki is my favorite, aside from fish," Hinoka praised as they got right up to the stall. The man heading the stall flinched a bit when he saw them but he recovered quickly and smiled good-naturedly.

"My Lords and Ladies, you honor me with your presence," he said respectfully. Corrin blushed slightly and she felt Sakura hide behind her.

"It's quite all right. We'd like two boxes, please," Hinoka said and the man immediately picked two boxes up and held them out to them. Hinoka took one box and Takumi took the other one. Then Kamui pulled a few gold pieces from his pack and held them out but the man shook his head.

"I would never dream of charging royalty. It would be shameful of me to do that," he said. Corrin looked at the man and frowned, he was a middle-aged man but he looked like he'd seen better days, like he had hit a rough patch lately. The stand itself looked like it really needed to be repainted and the tools looked like they needed to be replaced. Corrin reached into her own pouch, which she hid in her sleeve and pulled out a few more gold coins.

"You're not charging us then, we're giving the money to you," Corrin said nicely and the man seemed to be in a state of shock but he nodded gratefully and accepted the gold from the twins.

"Thank you, my Lord and Lady…" he said gratefully before they moved along.

"That was kind of you…" Takumi said softly as they wormed their way through the crowds. It was the second thing he'd said ever since they left the palace. He opened up the box they received and held it towards Corrin and Sakura. Corrin picked up one of the spheres with one of the little picks in the box and looked at it for a moment and blew on it.

"That was nothing, he looked like he just needed a little hand," Corrin said as she noted Kamui and Hinoka walking a little bit ahead of them, eating and talking about something she couldn't hear. It must have been funny though since they were both laughing.

"Mm…" Corrin sighed as she took a bite out of the takoyaki. It tasted amazing, she'd never had it before but it tasted great. It was similar to fish but not quite. There was another taste that she didn't know what to name but there was also a bit of cheese in it.

"You like it?" Sakura asked and Corrin looked down at her little sister and nodded. She smiled and quickly reached up to take one for herself.

"Makes sense, it was your favorite," Takumi commented and Corrin turned to look at Takumi who was actually looking at her this time.

"Really?" Corrin asked and Takumi nodded.

"You and Kamui both loved Takoyaki and Salmon. You reaction to the takoyaki proves that at least the former is still true," Takumi said and Corrin chuckled slightly before she picked another takoyaki up and held it out to him.

"Huh?" Takumi backed his head away from it and Corrin giggled.

"Come on, don't be a stick in the mud," Corrin pressed. Takumi's eyes softened almost immediately at her words and he opened his mouth and Corrin pushed the food into his mouth and pulled the pick back. Takumi ate the food and Corrin smiled when she saw him hide his enjoyment.

"Softie…" Corrin cooed in her head.

"We're here!" Sakura exclaimed, knocking Corrin out of her fun. She turned back forward to see that they were already in the town square. Corrin saw a small stage put up in front of the dragon statue. Kamui and Hinoka were right in front of them while Sakura was staring at Corrin in a "well?" manner. Corrin blushed slightly and the little girl giggled.

"Something funny?" Kamui asked as he turned to them as he fed a Takoyaki to Hinoka. The sky knight was blushing profusely but she seemed happy.

"No nothing at all," Corrin said quickly. Kamui gave her a deadpanned look while Hinoka giggled but before anything could be said, the lights of the square lessened considerably.

"It's starting!" Sakura exclaimed. The small stage lit up and everyone in the square quieted down. Corrin held onto Takumi tighter so that he wouldn't try to sneak off. Then she focused in on the stage when she saw Azura walk up onto the stage. She was wearing a simple blue kimono but it looked elegant on her and she wasn't wearing the headdress she usually wore on her head. Other than that she looked the same, she didn't even style her hair differently.

"Here goes…"

* * *

 **Kamui's POV**

Kamui looked down to Hinoka when he felt her lean her head onto his shoulder. He smiled and wrapped his arm around her and pulled her against him. A memory of her doing something similar ran through his mind. They were resting under a tree and she fell asleep on his shoulder. He hoped she wouldn't fall asleep there, it would be embarrassing to have to carry her back with all the people around. He turned back to the stage when he heard Azura take a step forward.

 _"In the white light. A hand reaches through. A double-edged blade cuts your heart in two. Walking dreams fade away. Embrace the brand new day…"_ Azura sung as she danced and Kamui's eyes widened when he saw water appear where her hands moved. So she could control water magic?

 _"Sing with me a song. Of Birthrights and love. The light scatters to the sky above. Dawn breaks through the gloom. White as Bone…lost in thoughts, all alone."_ Azura sung as created a sort of flurry of water around her that didn't fall to the ground. In fact the water flowed out towards the square like a sort of veil. Kamui felt a strange tug on the back of his mind like he should recognize this.

 _"You are the ocean's gray waves. Destined to seek. Life beyond the shore. Just out of reach…Yet the waters ever change. Flowing like time. The path is yours to climb…"_ Azura sung as she threw her hands down and the water veil lifted and the lights that turned off before alight once again. Kamui blinked rapidly as Azura bowed and the crowd started clapping and cheering.

"That was amazing, I've never heard that one before!" Hinoka exclaimed as she lifted herself from Kamui's side and started cheering for Azura. Kamui started clapping as well but he could have sworn Azura looked towards them as she left the stage.

"What was that?" Kamui thought as he blinked. He looked towards his twin to only to meet her ruby eyes. Good to know he wasn't hallucinating; she was probably looking towards them because she was seeking comfort. It was a tactic used to alleviate stress when in front of a large crowd, Kamui wouldn't know if it worked though.

"Here comes the next part!" Sakura chimed excitedly. Almost on queue Kamui heard music start playing. He didn't know what instruments were being played though since he'd never heard them before. Heck he couldn't even tell where the players were since it was so crowded. Then he almost stumbled when the crowd suddenly started moving backwards. Hinoka clutched onto him as they were pushed back a few feet. Kamui shook his head but he saw that they had cleared space in the square, probably for the dancers.

"There they go!" Kamui heard someone shout and then he saw a few couples start moving into the space just opened up. They all started dancing in what Kamui thought was the beat of the music. Camilla did teach Kamui and Corrin how to dance, not that the twins particularly liked it but it stuck. The dance going on in front of them though was a bit different from the dance Kamui was used to. It was similar but it was nowhere near as stiff and a it was more free flowing. Before anything else could happen though, Kamui felt Hinoka tug on his arm.

"What are you doing?" Kamui asked quickly as he resisted his sister's pull. Hinoka turned her face to his with a smile and grabbed his arm with her other hand and continued tugging him forward. Before Kamui could pull back hard though, he felt at least three pairs of hands push against his back. Unfortunately he didn't expect it so he was sent forward just enough for Hinoka to pull him into the dance. It didn't help that now the people started clearing the way for them. Kamui turned back to glare at the offenders only to see his twin and Sakura waving at him while Takumi was looking to the side but he had a smile on his face.

"I'll get you!" Kamui screamed in his head as he was dragged into the dance until they found a spot for them.

"Come on, Otooto-Kun! Let's have some fun!" Hinoka chimed and Kamui grunted as he resigned himself to his fate. Once again he was being forced to make a fool of himself by his siblings, it appeared that no matter where he was, things kept leading to the same conclusion. Kamui sighed in resignation; he might as well ignore it. He smiled at Hinoka and then he suddenly pulled her towards him.

"Oh!" Hinoka gasped as Kamui held her hand in one hand and wrapped his arm around her waist. Hinoka blushed as bad as Kamui did but she didn't complain. She placed her free hand on his shoulder and nodded to him. Kamui just hoped he wouldn't make a fool out of himself.

Kamui did what he could to try and move with the tempo set by the music. He was more surprised he didn't trip or make Hinoka trip, he wasn't trained to dance to this kind of music, it was a bit more...free compared to what he was taught to do. Though he started losing track of that when he started focusing in on Hinoka. She was still blushing but she had a bright smile on her face the whole time. Kamui didn't even feel himself moving anymore at that point. He just stared at Hinoka's beautiful face as they danced he blocked everything else out. He felt another memory come to him. This time the memory was of him chasing Hinoka through a forest.

"Very good, Kamui," Hinoka praised. Kamui vaguely noticed them spinning a few times before he lost track of what their bodies were doing. Then Kamui gave her a small twirl but Hinoka spun out of his arms, much to his surprise. He blinked as she winked a him from a few steps away. Then she pulled her fan out and extended it out and covered most of her face with it. Kamui's eyes narrowed slightly and he went towards her only for her to slink to the side. The memory of the chase was becoming more vivid as he chased after Hinoka.

"Come back here…" Kamui thought as he moved to the side as well, not losing sight of her. The music kicked up a few beats as he quickly chased after her. He vaguely noticed the other dancers in the area but they were just obstacles, getting in between him and his dance partner. Hinoka flashed her eyes at him teasingly, her fan still obscuring the rest of her face. Kamui saw a flash of Little Hinoka peaking out at him from behind a tree before she moved back behind it and at the same time the present Hinoka ducked to the side, out of his sight. Kamui growled in annoyance as he quickly ran up to where he last saw Hinoka only to see that she wasn't there. Then his memory flash ended with him being tackled from behind.

"Not this time!" Kamui turned and reached to and grabbed a startled Hinoka by her arm and pulled her close. Her auburn-orange eyes stared at him widely and he pulled her fan down and tilted his head at her.

"Did you think that would work again?" he asked softly and Hinoka smiled at him before she shook her head. Then Kamui noticed the music start to enter a lull, probably nearing the end.

"Let's give the crowd a good finale then…" Hinoka whispered and Kamui nodded. Then in one smooth motion Hinoka jumped and he grabbed her and spun them both around before he ended up holding her just above the ground, while she had her arms around his neck. Right on queue the music ended and then there was a series of loud cheering and clapping. Kamui and Hinoka both blushed as Kamui pulled his sister back up onto her feet. Instead of rushing off though, they clasped their hands together and bowed to the audience. That just made the applause louder. They both rose together and then Kamui turned to his sister only to catch her as she threw herself at him in a hug.

"I missed you so much, Kamui…" Hinoka whispered and Kamui smiled. He felt so elated and most of all calm. Not calm as in physically calm, but mentally. It was like a big weight was lifted from him again just like when he first found Hinoka and Sakura in the snow. It was like something was hitting home.

"I missed you too, Hinoka, more than you think…" Kamui replied and Hinoka giggled slightly before they started heading back towards their family.

 **Later**

Kamui sighed as he walked through the halls of the palace. The guards didn't light the torches since they were all out enjoying the festival like he was earlier. Thankfully the light of the moon seemed to cover the need for light. The prince didn't particularly mind since he was just happy that he was away from the festival in case his mother had some kind of plan for him.

They ended up returning to the palace after Kamui's dance, he had a feeling that Takumi just didn't want to get dragged into a dance by Corrin. Of course the plan didn't work since Corrin opted to stay and essentially coerced Takumi into sticking around while Kamui went back with his sisters. After getting to the palace the three ended up going their separate ways for bed. Of course Kamui had been unable to sleep though and after about an hour of trying he found himself walking around in the night.

"Where's that kitchen?" Kamui thought as he walked. In the time he had been there, he had been unable to make more than tea in fear of the others discovering his talents. The last thing he wanted was to be coerced into using his talents in the kitchen again. While he didn't have a particular need to cook he did miss tasting more…Nohrian type food...another reason he had to be secretive.

"Wait what's that?" Kamui said as he came to a pause. He smelled something that was cooking. Now that wouldn't be a problem normally but the problem was that he was sure there was no one in the palace except for him and his sisters. He knew Sakura didn't know how to cook so that left Hinoka… The first thing that popped into his mind was Hinoka trying to cook dinner for them the other day.

"Damn!" Kamui hurried in the direction of the smell, hoping he could stop a problem before it happened. As he rounded a corner he made out light coming from one of the rooms. Screen walls were definitely nice like that. He sped to the door and opened it quickly but he was surprised by what he saw. Someone was in the kitchen but it wasn't who he thought it was.

"Kamui?" Azura, her yellow eyes were a little wide and her cheeks were a little flushed. Aside from the expression she wore being a little cute he realized something. She was cooking something in a pot, she had a ladle in one hand and some spices in her other hand but judging from the smell, she wasn't doing it right!

"Stop that!" Kamui phased over to her and he dimmed the fire under the pot. Then he grabbed her hands.

"K-Kamui!" Azura stammered as he directed her use of the ladle and spices more measuredly. Kamui blushed a little but he was used to doing that after years of helping Corrin and Camilla cook though the latter was usually the one who did that for him not the other way around.

Azura was cooking some kind of soup; he thought it was called Ramen if he remembered correctly. The first time they all had dinner together, Ryoma and the others all asked for it but his mother said that it wasn't healthy for them and wouldn't let them. After dinner though, Corrin asked Kaze to get them some and he did, Kamui had to admit he enjoyed it. Though their mother was a little mad at them for doing that but she said they could have as much as they wanted. Yeah…the others had been jealous of them for a bit after that.

"There…you shouldn't give it so much heat and you should not put too many spices in otherwise you'll overdo it and it will taste terrible. You cut the veggies and the meat correctly though," Kamui sighed as the soup stopped steaming as much as it had earlier. The smell was a bit heavy with pepper though. Thankfully she didn't put the egg in yet, that would have made the spice stick a bit too much.

"You put too much pepper, we need to even that out…" Kamui informed as he let go of Azura's admittedly soft hands and he took the ladle and the peppershaker from her gently. Azura moved aside a bit fast and Kamui noted her red face but he ignored it as best he could as he stirred the soup.

"So what made you decide to try and cook something?" Kamui asked as he turned towards her as he tried to even out the soup so it wasn't all pepper. Azura turned her gaze from him and rubbed her arm gently.

"The others weren't around so I tried to make something…" Azura explained softly and Kamui nodded. He poured the water out and kept the noodles in while he put new water in to try and flush the excess spice out.

"What time did you get back? Hinoka, Sakura and I came back over an hour ago," Kamui asked.

"I just returned moments ago, I was looking for you and Corrin told me you went back to the palace. When I got here though, you were all in your bedrooms apparently so I didn't want to disturb you…" Azura explained and Kamui was a little interested in that. She was looking for him specifically?

"I see…" Kamui said, blushing a little, as he unconsciously looked her up and down. He must have been out of it if he didn't see how pretty she was in her blue kimono earlier. The kimono itself was relatively simple, yet it emphasized her beauty, especially her hair; she even had a hair band made of blue flowers on. Her kimono was also a little showy, not very but just enough to make him blush.

"Um…so can you hand me some bowls? I think its ready, or do you not want to share?" Kamui asked quickly as he returned to the pot. Azura placed her hand on his shoulder but he didn't turn her since to he still felt his face burning.

"You can have some of course, I was making it for all of us before Queen Mikoto returned, you know how stingy she is with letting us eat this. Well except for you and your sister," Azura joked as she handed him a bowl. Kamui laughed as he accepted the bowl and he poured a good portion into the bowl before he handed it back to her. Then she handed him another one and he poured some into that bowl before he killed the fire under the pot. They both grabbed an egg from the preserving bin before they went to sit.

"It looks good," Azura said as they went over to one of the tables and sat down together with their food. They both cracked their eggs and dropped them over the bowl and watched it cook over their food.

"I'm glad you think so," Kamui replied with a smile as they waited for the egg to cook fully. Neither of them spoke after that and Kamui's mind began to wander a little. He realized this was the first time he was alone with a girl that wasn't his sister, servant or enemy for that manner. Well not the first time but he didn't really count the other time as alone. They didn't speak again until their eggs were cooked fully and they started eating.

"This is good…" Azura praised as she ate and Kamui smiled as he enjoyed his late dinner with her.

"All I did was finish it, you would have been fine if you knew not to use too much spice or heat," Kamui said and Azura flushed a little as they focused back on their eating. He wondered if this is what a date was supposed to be like, maybe they wo-curse Camilla's "secret books", why did he let her talk him into letting her read one with him? The prince shook his head a little bit to dispel any thoughts on the manner.

"So do you cook often?" Azura asked after a few more minutes and Kamui froze as he realized what he just did.

"Not often no…" Kamui lied but the smile that Azura wore told him that she didn't buy it.

"I don't think someone who doesn't "cook often" would know how to fix what I did…" Azura said and Kamui sighed.

"I might know how to cook," Kamui admitted. Azura smiled slyly and the prince had a feeling that he was going to get annoyed a lot for a while.

"I don't seem to remember you offering your talents after Hinoka tried to cook for us," Azura mentioned and Kamui shuddered a little bit at the memory. It was worse than when Leo tried to cook for them, except instead of almost poisoning them, she almost burned them.

"Well I…um..." Kamui didn't have an answer for that unfortunately that wouldn't make his intentions obvious.

"Lets just say I don't feel like projecting it since I know I'll be asked to do it a lot if I do," Kamui sighed as he went ahead and admitted what he was doing. Azura giggled at his revelation and he glared at her.

"What's so funny?" Kamui asked and Azura gave him a rather devious smile.

"Since you don't want others to know…I want you to do something for me in order to buy my silence," she said and Kamui immediately wished he didn't help her cook and let her flounder. He sighed in annoyance but he really didn't feel like being on the call again. The problem was he didn't have a sibling that would help shoulder the burden this time. There was Corrin but that lazy girl couldn't be bothered and it wasn't worth the effort to make her. Wasn't he supposed to be a prince? How did he get stuck with that job?

"Fine, what is it?" Kamui muttered and Azura's smile vanished and was replaced by a blush. The prince tilted his head at that as she turned her gaze away from him.

"Cute…" Kamui thought reflexively, how could he not think that?

"Well…I know you wake up early like Ryoma and myself. I was wondering if you would mind spending the mornings with me to help me learn to cook better and have breakfast with me and um…" Azura said bashfully and Kamui blushed a little. If she wanted that, she could have just asked him instead of blackmailing him. Unlike in Nohr they didn't eat all their meals together, particularly breakfast since they all woke up at different times. So it would be easy for Kamui to accommodate that.

"What else?" Kamui asked, more than a little flattered. Still though she was really hesitating about the last part, he wondered if that would be harsh on him.

"Um, I would like you to help me with my dances and my training…" Azura mumbled but he caught it. Oh...well that wasn't bad; he had literally been doing that back in Nohr. Kamui took a moment though and he blushed when he realized that it wasn't the same since it wasn't one of his sisters asking to spend private time with him.

"That can be arranged…" Kamui accepted and Azura flushed again but she smiled and he smiled back.

"So I guess we'll start tomorrow then?" Kamui asked and Azura nodded happily. He smiled again before he picked his now empty bowl up and took it to the bin and started washing it. After a few moments Azura came up and started cleaning her own bowl as well.

"Oh I almost forgot. You said you were looking for me earlier? What did you need me for?" Kamui asked as he put his bowl down and started drying his hands. Azura paused for a moment before her head tilted down.

"Well I wanted to dance with you of course, I saw you dancing with Hinoka and I was hoping that I would get a turn. Sadly you already ran off," Azura said softly and he heard the sadness in her voice.

"I'm sorry…I didn't know," Kamui answered truthfully, he would not have said no if she asked him. He felt bad for running off in such a hurry even if he didn't know.

"No its ok…" Azura said as she looked up at him again and gave him a smile before she turned back to washing her bowl. The prince frowned and he made up his mind on what to do.

"No I don't think so…" Kamui said as he placed his hand on Azura's shoulder. She flinched and turned to him but he just took the bowl from her and put it down.

"Come on, I'll give you a dance," he said with a smile and Azura blushed but she didn't say no as he led her out of the kitchen and to the gardens where he first met her. There weren't any fancy lights out but the moon would be good enough. Besides, he could use his "other sight" to see if he needed to.

"This should be sufficient, there's no crowd but I think we would both prefer that," Kamui said softly and Azura blushed but she smiled. Kamui let go of her hand and separated form her a bit and he turned to face her.

"My Lady…" Kamui said as he bowed. He heard Azura laugh as she curtsied towards him.

"My Lord…" she replied. They both rose and then Kamui took one of her hands and wrapped his free hand around her waist gently. She held his hand gently as she placed her free hand on his shoulder. Then they started to dance a little, different from the way he danced with Hinoka, it was far less energetic and more reserved, it was something Kamui would expect to do at a ball in Nohr. They didn't have music so it was a little odd but they settled into a tempo all the same.

"Were you surprised that I knew how to dance?" Kamui asked after a few moments. Azura shook her head and smiled at him.

"No, not really. You…you seem like the type to know how to dance," Azura said and he tilted his head at that but he shrugged it off. He gave her a small twirl and she spun back into her arms gracefully. He blushed slightly as she pressed herself against him again but he didn't cease their dance. The prince couldn't shake a certain sense that he had danced with her before but that was impossible.

"You look very good in those robes, Kamui. The look suits you…" Azura said lowly and the prince flushed in embarrassment. He shook his head to dispel it though as he focused back on the dance.

"Thank you…you look very nice as well, did you put the flowers in your hair yourself?" Kamui asked and Azura blushed a little. What he didn't say was he thought that the moonlight made her look even more exquisite. He would not say that though in fear of embarrassing both of them.

"No, Sakura helped me with it. She thought it would be appropriate since they matched my hair," she explained.

"She was right, they do look good in your hair. Heh…you know Corrin mentioned that she was jealous that you don't need to brush your hair despite its length," Kamui explained, recalling how much she would have to comb her hair in the morning to make it look the way it usually did. Azura smiled a little at the mention of his twin.

"Speaking of Corrin, I saw her dancing with Takumi earlier. I hope she knows others have their eyes on him," Azura said and Kamui chuckled slightly at the implication.

"Corrin can handle herself…besides, someone else has my twin's eye," Kamui informed and Azura tilted her head in question at him.

"Really?" she asked and Kamui nodded. Memories of Leo and Corrin sitting together at meals, spending time together in the library and dancing together went through his mind.

"Oh yeah, she's already spoken for," Kamui said and Azura made small humming sound as she thought about what he said.

"It's one of the Prince's of Nohr isn't it?" Azura asked and Kamui was a little surprised by her guess.

"You don't have to answer, I can tell from your reaction. It's all right I won't say anything," Azura promised and Kamui nodded in thanks. He didn't want Corrin getting on his case later. They settled into dancing with no words after that. They stayed like that for a few more minutes, just dancing in silence before Kamui felt her tug on him and he gave her a small spin again but instead of returning to him she stayed apart and bowed while holding his hand. He returned the gesture and when they rose, she placed her other hand on top of his.

"Thank you for doing this for me Kamui…" Azura said gratefully. She smiled at him and Kamui couldn't help but blush.

"Of course, you wanted to dance with me after all and I did agree to help you as long as you keep my "secret"..." they both laughed a little at that. Kamui felt good, he felt like he could talk to Azura more openly now. She was more than meets the eye after all. Azura let go of his hand after their laugh and he nodded towards the hall.

"We should probably head back. I don't think either of us wants to be caught out here like this. We should probably try to sneak some of our leftovers to Hinoka and Sakura before my mother returns…" he said softly and he was about to move but she caught his hand before he passed her and he turned towards her in surprise.

"I believe I said that I wanted you to help me with my dancing _and_ my signing…I want your opinion on a song…" she said slyly, her yellow eyes twinkling a little in delight or maybe that was the light. Kamui sighed but it wasn't in annoyance or anger. He smiled at her and nodded.

"Of course…" Kamui didn't know what the future had in store but he could definitely say that he was happy he got to experience that night in Hoshido.

* * *

 **Did you think there would be a kiss? No its too soon for that, sorry if I teased too much. Merry Christmas!**


	10. Bloodline

I don't own Fire Emblem

 **Hey everyone! Sorry for the lack of updates! I didn't really get to this story during my break since I kind of shifted into vacation mode and turned a little lazy. At least I got that Christmas chapter done on time. Anyway I did some thinking and talking with some of my readers and I think I've come to conclusion for the pairings, at least I think so. I won't make anything concrete until I actually start doing them. I won't say now though in case people don't want me to spoil the pairings directly. Tell me if you guys want me to spill the details or not in the author note next chapter. Or if you want you could just PM me and I'll tell you there.**

Chapter 9: Bloodline

* * *

 **Kamui's POV**

Kamui sat in the gardens of Hoshido, under one of the cherry blossom trees, enjoying the first light of the day. He enjoyed winter in Hoshido quite a bit so he didn't mind sitting out in the cold air. He liked how the gardens looked while covered in snow. His sister probably would have complained immediately if she was out in the cold with him. The prince felt at ease in the gardens though. It made him feel calm and he found himself regaining more memories from his past in Hoshido.

The only other places where his memories seemed to like resurfacing so readily were the town square and the throne room. Kamui assumed that those places were tied closely to his past and his body was forcing his brain to remember. The other thing that popped up was that Kamui's memories of Hinoka and Sakura returned when he met them, enough to know they were his sisters anyway. He wondered why his memories of Ryoma and Takumi didn't return so readily? Perhaps it was because he spent more time with his sisters? No that didn't sound right, his interactions with Xander and Leo didn't link with that idea. Kamui pushed it aside though since he had other things to think about.

Kamui found himself enjoying his time in Hoshido far more than he originally thought he would. The Winter Festival was almost like the true start he needed to really accept what was happening. His siblings were a big help, especially Hinoka and Ryoma. Kamui's early assumption about Sakura being a shy version of Elise was proven correct since she was always so nervous whenever Kamui or Corrin spoke to her. It was endearing though and a little sad since Sakura apparently didn't remember them very well. Though that made sense since she would have only been four when they were taken. Even Takumi was "starting" to warm up to him, at least that's what Corrin claimed. Kamui just gave him space whenever he could. It had only been a week since the festival and Kamui wasn't one to hold grudges…well not petty ones…usually.

Hinoka was practically attached to him now but Kamui appreciated it, after all she was the one he was closest to before he was taken, if his memories were correct. The only reason she wasn't with him at that point was because she liked to sleep in more than he did. She liked to drag him with her to the town and show him around or even try to cook with him. Kamui was surprised that his big sister's cooking was…not quite on par with Camilla's. Apparently she spent so much time training to rescue him that she forgot how to feed herself something decent. Kamui found it sweet though, it made him blush actually since she was that devoted to him. It reminded him a bit of Camilla in a more cute and clumsy way. Though Hinoka had been a little closer than normal lately, by that Kamui meant physically. She didn't attach herself to his side like Elise would but she definitely had been hovering around him a lot. Kamui didn't mind since he was used to it, he grew up with Elise and Camilla after all.

Ryoma was a big help as well; the samurai woke as early as Kamui did so they usually met up for morning training. They had not spared yet but he helped Kamui refine his fighting style and fix the small flaws he noticed in his form. He even taught him how to efficiently use his movements better and Kamui had already seen improvement. Other than that, Ryoma had been nothing but supportive of the twins. Kamui found himself wishing Xander had been like that. Don't get him wrong, he believed Xander did everything he could but he was always busy and a little distant. Ryoma had no qualms with approaching him and conversing normally, something Xander generally didn't do. Another thing Kamui also noticed was that Ryoma seemed a lot more at ease than Xander ever did. Though that was hardly the paladin's fault, he had Garon for a father after all.

The only person who he was weary about was Azura. Don't get him wrong he thought she was nice and he enjoyed being around her. She would often join him out in the gardens whenever he felt like sitting out there. Hinoka had pointed out that Azura had taken a shine to him though she sounded a little bitter about that. She didn't know the half of it really or perhaps she did. The prince had a feeling that his mother and his siblings knew that he and Azura were spending the mornings and even some evenings together and they simply didn't say anything about it…maybe what he was really weary of was people making assumptions? Not like he wasn't painting a picture with his actions though.

Kamui and Azura had gone through with their arrangement that they started that night of the festival. Both of them would meet up and he would help her learn to cook and they would eat breakfast together before anyone else showed up. Then Kamui would help her with her dancing, though she didn't need help really, it was just them dancing together. It was followed up with Kamui listening to one of her songs, which were all pleasant to listen to. Though there were times they would just sit and talk.

They often talked about Nohr since Azura had obviously not been in Nohr since she was little. Kamui appreciated it since it helped him remember that he still had family there and that it wasn't all bad. Though he did make sure to not talk about anything too unpleasant. In turn, Kamui would ask her about her time in Hoshido to sate his curiosity about how she adapted to the change. After all, unlike him she had her memories from the start. Of course they didn't always talk about their childhoods, sometimes they would just talk about random things like what they liked and disliked. It was interesting talking like that with a girl who wasn't his sister or servant for that matter.

In fact he would probably be seeing the singer soon enough since it was getting close to when she would awaken for her "ghost singing". Kamui chuckled slightly at the thought; Azura really didn't like the fact that her singing projected so far. He didn't know why though since he thought she was rather good at it. The best he's ever heard actually, he could only recall one singer that matched her, though there weren't many singers in his life. Still though, Azura seemed to be running late. It was already getting to the point where Hinoka and his mother were going to wake.

For all the pleasant times they spent together though his senses were always telling him not to take what she said at face value, at least not all the time. Plus he got the feeling that she was staring at him sometimes. There were times when they would just sit in silence, specifically at breakfast and he would look over and see that she was just staring at him but she would blush and turn away quickly when that happened. Heck sometimes he'd catch her doing it at dinner. Granted he didn't feel that unsettled by that, just embarrassed. Kamui didn't even feel unsettled by her because of anything she had done it was something internal. The real unsettling thing was her songs felt familiar for some reason like he'd heard them before but that wasn't possible. He didn't have any recollection of her and he was certain he would remember a girl with blue hair like hers. Then again…no he would have remembered that much…He had never met her before…right? Things had gotten so complicated so quickly, it was making his head spin.

Kamui still wore the outfit that he wore to the winter festival even though it had been a week since it passed. It just felt right to him like he was meant to wear the style. No one refuted him either; they all said it suited him. Hinoka and his mother actually seemed quite fond of the idea that he would wear it often. Azura even said it complimented her dance. Though his mother actually said that it would attract more women…that didn't make him feel comfortable. He only kept one thing from his previous outfit since he never took it off but only he and his twin would know what it was. Don't get him wrong he enjoyed his Nohrian armor but his new gear just felt…right. It made him forget…almost everything. He looked down at his gloved hands and he pulled the glove off of his left hand, revealing the bandages, covering his burns. It always unnerved him how his hand still felt like the burns were fresh sometimes when he knew the wounds healed years ago.

"I suppose I'll never be able to really put it away…" Kamui thought before he pulled his glove back over his hand. He sighed for a moment before he turned to the little table he set up next to him. He had a teakettle and cups along with a small basket.

"I wonder if Corrin is awake yet…in fact where is anyone? I wonder what's taking Azura so long, she's never been late before." Kamui mused as he poured himself a cup of tea.

Corrin was adjusting into Hoshido fairly well too but Kamui was worried about her. While she had been adjusting to Hoshido well over the days, she had been growing a little depressed at the same time. The others were all worried about her but Kamui knew what was wrong and they probably knew what it was too even if they didn't like it. She missed their Nohrian family and perhaps she missed Nohr itself. At the same time though she was growing to love her family in Hoshido. Kamui could relate since he was going through the same thing except he found himself favoring Hoshido. Corrin still had not remembered anything however and it was worrying their mother and their siblings. Their mother was investigating it but they didn't know if anything would turn up.

"Is it wrong of me to say that I want to stay here?" Kamui thought as he took a sip of his berry tea. Ever since the winter festival, Kamui found himself wishing more and more to simply stay in Hoshido rather than return to Nohr. He had things he never had in Nohr and probably never would as long as Garon was in charge. The one thing that kept sticking out to him though was that his family there was willing to put the needs of their family and friends first over duty. Kamui liked that, don't get him wrong, he knew that Xander and Camilla would tear down walls for their family if they could but Garon wouldn't allow it. Kamui would hate himself if they got hurt because they were trying to cover for him.

Still though, Kamui just felt…free. He could go out of the castle whenever he wanted, no one would stop him. He had real authority like a prince and he could use it as he wished as long as he didn't abuse it. His family was always around and didn't go away for weeks or months at a time. He…he could pursue a relationship if he wanted to without fear of someone above him exploiting it, not that he was looking for one at the moment. The ruler in Hoshido wasn't trying to make his life miserable; in fact she was trying to make him more comfortable, being a real parent to him. The irony is he had everything he could ask for but he couldn't just forget about everything Xander, Camilla, Leo and Little Elise did for him for over eleven years, he just couldn't.

"I wish you were still here, Father…I don't remember much about you but I think you would be able to give me advice," Kamui said to himself. He remembered only small bits of Sumeragi but he figured they were close. Ryoma did say that their father always did have a liking for the twins. Kamui took his word for it.

He opened up the small basket he had and he smiled when the aroma of freshly baked cookies filled his senses. He baked them the same way he would bake any cookies but he made them into little squares like he saw in the market. It was normal cookie dough baked and then he put a chocolate drop on the top of the little squares. He hid the fact that he could bake sweets from his Hoshido siblings since he didn't feel like being "enslaved" again. Normal food was one thing but sweets? He had no desire to be at beck and call again like Leo and Elise did to him. Well…at least he didn't like being "enslaved" to the former or his twin for that matter!

It was hard to pull off his secrecy but he managed it. He had to wake up earlier than he usually would and avoid Kaze, which was almost impossible until he got fed up and told him to watch his twin instead. Thankfully his twin had not said anything yet either and if she didn't want to wake up with bugs in her hair, it would stay that way. He wasn't cruel; he was protecting his sanity and his freedom. The only one who knew he could bake was Azura and that was because he caught her trying to do the same thing. Fortunately he got her to promise that she wouldn't tell the others he could bake as long as he'd share his treats with her whenever he made them. Well that and helping her out in the morning and sometimes the night.

He picked one cookie up and stuck it in his mouth and happily ate the cookie before he took another sip of his tea. Then he heard a small shuffling behind him and he turned quickly, hand on sword just to see a familiar Oni standing there.

"Still jumpy?" Rinkah asked cheekily as she held her hands up in a sign of peace. Kamui blushed and relaxed before he motioned her to sit next to him. He expected the Oni to go away since she had been doing that every time their paths crossed. In fact, Kamui couldn't recall her speaking with anyone around the palace just for a conversation, she only spoke when spoken to and even then she only really spoke if someone had an order or a request for her. Kamui had not even been able to talk to her about why he did what he did in Nohr. Surprisingly though Rinkah actually nodded when he offered her a seat and sat down right next to him under the tree.

"So…do you always come out here at this hour?" Rinkah asked as she leaned against the tree they were sitting under. Kamui noticed that she was a bit tense for some reason though. He chalked it up to nerves though since she probably wasn't comfortable with talking to him, since she didn't know him really. Then again from what he recalled, she might not be used to talking to people at all.

"Yes, I always wake up at this hour to train or just walk around. I don't sleep in since I want to make the most of a day. Usually Azura is with me at this time but I guess she's busy today," Kamui answered, though he hid the fact that in Nohr he also did it because he didn't trust the majority of the people in the castle. Rinkah actually laughed though it wasn't the cruel or vicious one he heard during fights, it was a genuine one.

"You share another similarity with my people. We choose to rise with the sun, we believe that any time sleeping past the rise of a sun is a waste of time," Rinkah explained and Kamui nodded. Then the prince noticed Rinkah's eyes darting back and forth between the sweets in his basket. It took only a moment for Kamui to connect the dots before he smiled slyly.

"Do you want a few?" Kamui asked and Rinkah's cheeks flushed but she nodded and grabbed quite a few of the sweets before she shoved them into her mouth and she shivered gently in joy. Kamui had to contain his laughter at the sight, it was cute watching Rinkah enjoy herself like that.

"You made these?" Rinkah asked and Kamui nodded.

"Yeah, I had to learn to cook so that I could take care of my younger siblings…er…my Nohrian siblings," Kamui amended quickly and Rinkah gave him a look before she shrugged. Then something clicked in Kamui's head.

"You said another similarity?" Kamui asked. Rinkah's red eyes locked on his this time as she turned her head to his.

"Yes. You fight with the same ferocity that my clan does. It's not as open or as uh…brunt but it's there. You just channel it with a calm mind and release it in bursts rather than letting it flow freely. That mixed in with the famous Hoshidian Courage makes you quite the fierce warrior," Rinkah explained and Kamui found himself blushing since she had only seen him fight two or three times yet she was critiquing him like she knew him.

"Oh…you must be observant…or you just look at me a lot," Kamui said nervously and Rinkah's eyes widened and her cheeks flushed a bit before she averted her gaze.

"Sorry…you intrigue me, you and your sister both. I find it interesting how a place like Nohr could house someone like you for so long and not taint the light within you. Even the reclusive Azura has taken an interest in both of you, specifically you," Rinkah said thoughtfully. The prince flushed a bit at the mention of Azura taking an interest in him but he pushed it aside.

"And my sister?" Kamui asked. It wasn't the first time Rinkah mentioned something flattering about him but stayed silent about his sister. Rinkah blinked for a few moments before she took a breath.

"Don't take this the wrong way, I have nothing but respect for Princess Corrin, she was the one who convinced the Nohrians to let me live after all. Except after seeing her in action against her, from afar and beside her, I see that she is…scared," Rinkah said and Kamui tilted his head in confusion.

"Scared? Of what? Fighting? I can tell you right now that I am afraid whenever I walk into a fight too, it's a natural response," Kamui replied but Rinkah shook her head.

"No, I apologize, I didn't word that correctly. It's hard to explain, she isn't a coward, far from it but she lacks the will to put herself into a real fight if that makes any sense. She will fight but she doesn't seem to want to actually put her heart into it, I'm sure you understand what I mean," Rinkah explained and Kamui nodded.

"That sounds like my twin. She's…gentle; she doesn't like to hurt people. I don't either but I suppose I'm the one who's accepted that we have to in order to survive," Kamui said and Rinkah snapped her fingers.

"Exactly, a better way I could say it is that she doesn't want to take on the burden of taking a life, take that how ever you want, it's just my observation," Rinkah explained and Kamui winced a little at that. His twin's naïve nature was really going to get them in trouble at some point. Though he took that with a grain of salt since his willingness to kill ended with him killing his own people, while Corrin was still clean. Maybe he should start taking pages from her book instead of trying to make her take some from his.

"Hey, don't blame yourself for what happened at the canyon. You thought you were going to die, you were protecting your family. I didn't see any hatred in your movements when you killed. You took no pleasure in it and you tried to make every one of them quick. Many warriors don't get that lucky and I can tell you right now that Norhians generally don't make deaths clean or fast especially the mages," Rinkah said in a surprisingly gentle tone.

"Thanks, you know I was half expecting you to hate me this whole time," Kamui said lightly and Rinkah punched his shoulder playfully.

"I probably should but I can't. You make it a little hard since you are quite the stunning warrior with the attitude to match. Don't expect talks like this often. I only did it because I felt like you deserved to know how I felt about everything. You've been trying to talk to me for days now anyway…plus the sweets drew me in…" Rinkah said, taking a complete one eighty during her sentence.

"Of course…" Kamui assented and Rinkah gave him a smile, a genuine smile. The only smile he'd ever seen on her face wasn't one of arrogance or teasing. It was…nice to see that she didn't just hate him. He saw Rinkah's cheeks tint red a little and he was about to comment but before he could, he sensed someone else approaching and he turned to see that it was none other than his mother and his big sister. The latter looked a little…angry.

"Oh! I'm sorry, were you in the middle of something?" his mother asked, embarrassed. Kamui's eyes widened, him alone with a girl around his age, in the middle of the garden during the sunrise. Oh dear…they were even sharing food, it was literally a moment right out of a fairy tale or one of those…"books" Camilla keeps on her "secret" shelf. Rinkah sputtered in surprise while Kamui's cheeks tinted red but he smiled and shook his head.

"N-No…Mother, Onee-Chan, what can I do for you?" Kamui asked, ignoring Rinkah's attempts to say something that would deny the Queen's claims. His mother just smiled at them and motioned behind her. Hinoka crossed her arms at him like he was caught stealing from the cookie jar. What the heck did he do?

"Well…I wanted to speak to you, my son. But if you are busy…" Kamui stood up abruptly in response, making his mother giggle.

"Nonsense, it is quite alright. Rinkah, if you want to keep the sweets and the tea, feel free," Kamui said quickly as he moved towards his mother and big sister. Rinkah gave him a weak, embarrassed wave and a small glare but nothing else. He winced at her glare and Rinkah flinched before she turned away with a dash of what he thought was regret pass her features before she started shoving more of his cookies into her mouth.

"Thank you for letting him go, Lady Rinkah," Mikoto said gratefully and Rinkah groaned, making the Queen giggle.

Kamui was starting to wonder why it was always him that got embarrassed in this way. Corrin never got teased like this, ever! He gave no outward reaction to any of this aside from his flushed cheeks. Then his eyes widened when he felt Hinoka grab his left hand and arm.

"Come on, Kamui…" Hinoka said as she dragged him along. The prince waved goodbye to Rinkah but he thought he saw sadness cross her features as he was pulled away. He didn't have time to think too much on it though since he had to worry about Hinoka.

Kamui sighed a little in resignation when Hinoka hugged his arm tight, she wasn't letting him go unless he phased or threw her. The action itself wasn't particularly bad; Elise and Camilla liked to latch onto his arm a lot but never like that! The queen gave off a small giggle and Kamui felt his cheeks flush again. He'd only known her for little over a week or two and she could already push his buttons. If she wasn't his mother, she was just very good.

"Hinoka, people are going to think that you don't want our Kamui to get married if they see that…" their mother teased and Kamui nearly jumped. Marriage! He was only seventeen! She should be bothering Ryoma about that not him! Don't get him wrong he wanted to get married at some point but this was so sudden!

"What?!" Kamui and Hinoka both exclaimed. Kamui blushed in embarrassment and Hinoka was no better but she still held onto him like he was about to disappear. Well…technically he could if he wanted.

"Rinkah is a fine young woman, she's a descendent of the Fire Dragon so that would eliminate the whole worry about finding a wife that can't live forever. She is strong, brave and very beautiful. Plus she has a love for sweets, which Kamui can make. They already get along from what I've seen. Plus I think her personality suits Kamui just fine. Yes, perhaps I should ask her father if he would like to arrange something…Kamui is a fine young warrior, I think he would approve, especially since Tsume and Kiba have chosen him. Though we would have to deal with the issue of Fire Tribe isolation and I think she's interested in someone else…hm maybe not…" Mikoto mused and Kamui felt like his face was redder than Hinoka's hair. Thoughts of the oni entered his mind, she definitely was attractive and she seemed nice enough and her body wa-wait what?! Kamui beat his hand into the side of his head and shook his head to shake away those thoughts. Plus why was she talking about him like he wasn't present?

"Then again, Azura has been taking a shine to you faster than anyone else, so maybe we should think about putting you two together. You two already spend the mornings together. Corrin also told me how much time you spend around her, helping her cook I think. She even said that Azura asked you to dance with her. Oh can you imagine what would happen if you two got together!? You're quite the dancer yourself; it would be perfect! You'd be the perfect partner for Azura's perfect!" Mikoto gushed and Kamui immediately thought of putting honey all over Corrin's pillow. He had a feeling his twin knew but he didn't think she would tell people about what he did! Maybe a morning with sticky hair would make her shut up for once. Or maybe some stories about their younger years would make her learn!

"Oh don't fret, Kamui. It's not a bad thing to think about a girl your age like that…you should be happy!" Mikoto threw out and Kamui felt like if he got any warmer he'd melt the snow around him. How the heck did she know what he was thinking and it wasn't his fault! Rinkah's torso only had bandages covering it and even then they only covered her breasts! Her bi-no! Azura didn't help either; her dress left little to the imagination and she did seem to express an interest in him so he-no! Bad! Kamui shook his head again and cursed his hormones or whatever Camilla called them in their schooling for trying to take over his thought process.

"Hphm!" Hinoka tugged on his arm tighter and Kamui blushed when she pulled his arm against her chest and unfortunately since he wasn't wearing his armor he could feel her breasts against his arm…

"Keep acting like that and people will think you want to marry him," Mikoto teased and Kamui's face met the palm of his other hand while his sister just turned her head away but didn't let his arm go.

"Then again, people don't know he's your brother and after your little dance at the Winter Festival, I think the people believe that he's your betrothed…though I think you might have to fight Azura for him," Mikoto mused and Kamui felt like he was going to burn alive. It didn't particularly help that he was being objectified. Hinoka's face turned redder than her hair and she buried her head into his arm. Kamui was suddenly happy that Azura had not showed up for their usual session.

"Mother!" Kamui exclaimed, he finally had enough and his mother just giggled. Yes…she definitely was, Corrin had the same laugh, she also would have teased him the same way too.

"I suppose it wouldn't be bad, I mean it's not li-" Kamui had enough at that point and used his other hand to cover her mouth.

"Stop!" Kamui ordered and his mother phased to the side slightly and just smiled at him. The prince now understood how much he annoyed people whenever he phased to get out of hugs or holds.

"I'm just playing, dear. I haven't been able to tease you for eleven years; Corrin was a lot more acceptant than you. Hinoka is the only other one who puts up as much fuss as you do," Mikoto teased and Kamui deadpanned a little and Hinoka groaned. How nice that he was being teased simply because of his reactions, at least Hinoka understood.

"Also, you're a lot more fun to poke at, than your sister," Kamui felt like the world was playing some kind of sick joke on him. If there were any minimal doubts about his mother actually being his mother, they were dashed in that moment. Those were literally the exact words Corrin said to him whenever she teased him or tricked him into doing things for her. Minus the last bit of course since she would be refereeing to herself differently. Only problem was that Kamui couldn't just threaten to pour honey on her hair or put bugs in her bed since she was his mother…or could he?

"Hinoka, dear can you please go fetch the others. I would like to speak to Kamui, alone," Mikoto requested though any person with common sense knew it was a command. Hinoka gave him an apologetic look and Kamui glared at her as she ran off, leaving him to his fate.

"Hinoka really does care for you. I can see that it is mutual too. Corrin told me that your closeness to her is very out of character for you. Your closeness to Rinkah and Azura is very fast too from her perspective," the queen said in a softer tone and Kamui smiled.

"Yes, I'm sure Rinkah is simply intrigued with me, though it is interesting since we did try to kill each other only a little while ago…" Kamui mentioned and his mother nodded before she adopted an even softer tone.

"Of course, she probably wants to try to understand you, but moving on from that…you know that Azura is getting close to you. You understand that right? It's unusual that she would approach someone so avidly," Mikoto explained and Kamui nodded in understanding. He could see it; Azura spoke softly and seemed to move around like a ghost, trying to avoid people in general. It reminded him of Leo actually when he was younger.

"The fact that she is approaching you is interesting, I'm sure you understand this at least," Mikoto said and the prince felt like the conversation was going somewhere a little uncomfortable.

"Mother can you please stop…" Kamui pleaded. His mother smiled warmly and nodded thankfully.

"Sorry, Kamui, it's just that you're already a young man now…can't blame a mother for wondering what's going on with her child's love life," Mikoto said warmly and Kamui shook his head.

He couldn't blame her for that, the last time she had seen him he was only six. It was easy to forget that it was probably a shock to her how much she had missed. Still though, love? He had toyed with the idea before but well…it just never came up. Don't get him wrong he was willing to give love a shot but he was always so busy with watching his siblings for Xander with Camilla. Then there was the fact that he was afraid Garon would use any relationship against him. He already used his brothers and sisters against him. The only real experience Kamui had with romance was trying to help Corrin with Leo. Well that wasn't entirely accurate. Now though there were no strings attached. Could he? Perhaps…

"Corrin told me that you usually don't warm up to people as fast as you have with Azura, especially since you're willing to spend time with her so readily every day. You've been adapting to Ryoma and the others quickly as well. In fact you've been spending a lot of time with your siblings, more than she thought you would allow so quickly," Mikoto said and the prince sighed.

"She isn't wrong," Kamui replied and his mother smiled and motioned for him to follow her. He followed after her readily, despite his distaste for being teased, he was happy to talk to his mother. It was still awkward since Kamui was Kamui but he made the effort to speak to her whenever she asked since he knew for sure that she was his mother at that point.

"I have been meaning to talk to you about this but I suppose I've been pushing it back further than I should," Mikoto sighed as they arrived at the throne room. The guards at the door bowed before they opened the doors for them. Kamui followed his mother into the room, noting that it was empty. What did she want to talk to him about though and shouldn't his twin be there for it too? His mother didn't say anything until the doors shut behind them.

"Kamui, I know you're probably wondering why I did not bring your sister here since you're probably thinking what I have to say, concerns both of you. You would be right except the truth is that I only want you to be aware of what I have to say…for now. It's also why Azura never showed up for one of your sessions, I asked her not to go," Mikoto said and Kamui's eyes widened. Why would she only want him to know if it concerned his sister too? And she asked Azura not to go to him that day?

"Everything happened so fast after your arrival and the reveal that you were Hoshidian. I have been meaning to talk to you about it but well…I suppose you could say I didn't want to…" Mikoto said sadly and Kamui tilted his head in confusion.

"What do you mean?" Kamui asked, confused. His mother looked so sad, like the knowledge she was going to share would be the end of him.

"A mother does not want to prepare her child for war but it seems my hand has been forced. I will not send you off without being properly informed at least," Mikoto said and Kamui was just confused even more. War? With who? Oh wait…Nohr…

"Xander, Camilla, Leo, Elise…" Kamui thought sadly as images of them all passed through his mind. The birthday gift from his big sister felt warm under his clothes like the gem decided to remind him it was there. He had not forgotten about them, how could he? But…his thoughts had been more preoccupied lately, especially concerning a certain redhead and more recently, a blue haired singer.

"King Garon wishes to treat with us concerning the battle at the Bottomless Canyon. His envoy will be in our kingdom soon, except the reports say the "envoy" is really an army being led by the Crown Prince himself along with the rest of the royal children. I believe the King will use the battle at the canyon as a catalyst to start the war between Hoshido and Nohr once again. I also wouldn't be surprised if he used your "deaths" as an excuse as well if what you told us is true," Mikoto explained and Kamui nodded in understanding, it definitely sounded like something he would do. It did not escape Kamui's sight that the king sent him and his sister to the canyon to die. Heck they heard it straight from Hans's lips after he tried to kill them. Garon wanted the war with Hoshido to happen.

"Why are you telling just me this? Corrin should know too," Kamui asked and Mikoto smiled sadly.

"Because…I know your sister does not wish to fight against the Nohrians and that she will tear herself apart trying to figure out how to resolve everything without blood being spilled. She is so pure and I wish to spare her from that torment, at least for now. She will be aware soon but I want you to know first. I know you have no desire to fight against the people who raised you either but I…I do not believe Garon will be pleased to find out that you and your sister live. I just want you to know that war is coming," Mikoto explained sadly. Dread took hold of Kamui like a wyverns tail and yet he understood. She wanted him to take a stand with her…with Hoshido. No…she was telling him that he was going to have to make a choice.

"You have a big decision coming up and as much as I want you to pick Hoshido…I want you to know that no matter what choice you make, I love you…both of you," Mikoto said as she moved forward and wrapped her arms around him and buried her head into his chest. Kamui felt his eyes water as he wrapped his arms around his mother slowly and hugged her back. He felt warm…it was different from the warmth he felt from Camilla, who was the closest thing to a mother he had for most of his life, it felt…warmer.

There was only a few instances where he felt something stronger, one was at that ball he went to when he was a little younger. Then there was the Winter Festival with…Hinoka. There was also that night of the festival he spent with Azura and the week he spent doing his "arrangement" with her. Then there was the nice morning he spent with Rinkah. Even then that warmth was different, it felt even more affectionate than the hug he was getting from his mother. It was a lot more, intimate and loving and it made his heartbeat pick up tenfold…wait. His cheeks turned warm and his content was replaced with embarrassment and shame. What was he doing!? Hinoka was his sister, nothing more, why was he playing with thoughts like that?! Rinkah had a nice b-no! And Azura-he…well…Ah! Why were these thoughts plaguing him so! He never had too many of these thoughts before, why was it happening now!?

 _"Because you want it…"_ a small voice in his consciousness whispered and Kamui shook his head. This was not the time for any slanderous thoughts!

"My son?" Kamui's musings were cut short; thankfully as he realized that his mother had parted from their embrace and was staring at him worriedly.

"Are you feeling well? I know it's a lot to take in but I have more to tell you before your sister and the others arrive," Mikoto said and Kamui nodded.

"Yes, I'm sorry, it's just a lot to take in like you said. I'm ready for what's next," Kamui said, stomping his weird thoughts down for now. The time for relaxing was long gone; it was time to focus on the issues at hand. He just hoped he would have the strength to overcome whatever challenges came his way. Before anything happened though, his mother waved her hand and the doors opened behind him.

"Your majesty, my prince,"

* * *

 **Corrin's POV**

"Ah! Ow!" Takumi yelped as his training katana was knocked out of his hand by Corrin's own training sword. There was a loud snapping sound that followed the strike and the archer rubbed his wrist with a small wince. He gave Corrin a small glare but the princess just waved it off. She knew Takumi was a big softie towards her, just like Leo was. Well not quite but close enough…

"Sorry…" Corrin just giggled cutely as she hefted her training long sword onto her shoulder like she'd seen Xander do a few times over the years.

"I'll bet…" Takumi grumbled as he picked his katana off of the ground. They were in one of the training rooms at the palace or what the Hoshidians called, a dojo.

Corrin didn't particularly like training like her brother, at least not the swordsmanship part of it. She preferred using magic especially after the canyon; she had never felt so exhausted in any of her spars or training regiments. Except she did know that she had to keep her skills up otherwise she'd be a damsel in distress. After the battle at the canyon, Corrin found herself feeling more grateful towards Xander and Camilla for pushing her in training so hard. It had kept her alive in the end, both her and her brother. She still didn't know if she would be able to take a life but she knew that she would probably have to eventually. Though her unwillingness to kill did prevent her from killing her own people like her brother did…

"Excellent form!" Corrin turned towards the sound of the voice to smile at her big brother and her little sister. It still felt so weird for her to call someone other than Xander and Elise those names, even if she only said it in her mind.

"Are you ok, Takumi?" Sakura asked timidly as she rubbed her hands together nervously. She might not have been as outgoing as Elise but she was still just as cute as her.

"Of course I'm ok. I've been hit harder than this," Takumi replied rather proudly as he twirled his training sword with his injured hand effortlessly. Corrin deadpanned and then she giggled a little as she decided to poke fun at him.

"You mean like the time, Kamui disarmed you in less than a minute and launched you onto your back after you said you would go easy on him? That was yesterday wasn't it?" Corrin asked and Takumi flinched and nearly hit himself with his own sword. Ryoma let out a short laugh and Sakura tried and failed to conceal her giggles.

"That was a fluke!" Takumi retorted and Corrin laughed as he blushed in embarrassment.

"Hah! Enough, I think our little brother gets the point; he should never underestimate his opponents. Especially ones he's never clashed with," Ryoma interfered and Takumi sobered up and nodded in acceptance to their elder brother's council.

"Takumi, your form was flawless and your execution was good as well. Except you need to be a little less predictable with your movements or move fast enough to cover them. I know you are mainly an archer but a sword might very well save you in the future if you're caught off guard," Ryoma critiqued and Takumi's eyes lowered for a moment before they jumped back up.

"Of course Brother," Takumi replied respectfully and Corrin frowned in worry at his sudden fall in mood. Before she could ask though, Ryoma interrupted her.

"Corrin, your form and execution were on spot as well from what I can tell. I am not an expert on Nohrian styles but the results speak enough. I noticed that you hesitate a bit when it comes to decisive blows. You must learn to swing through otherwise someone might take advantage of that. Your brother is already widening the gap between you with the sword," Ryoma critiqued and Corrin winced a little, she knew it wasn't a jab but still. Ryoma was more forthcoming than Xander but that also meant he held nothing back when he gauged them during sparring. Corrin wasn't so sensitive that she would think he did it out of spite but it was not what she was used to exactly. Still though, Ryoma wasn't wrong.

Ever since Corrin and Kamui started training with Ryoma and their other siblings, things had changed. Whatever Kamui's skill level was before, it had grown noticeably. He was always the better swordsman out of the two but Corrin had always been able to sort of keep it evenly matched for a time with just her own swordsmanship alone. Now she could only hold that equality for half the time. Kamui was just…faster, stronger and more precise than before. They'd only sparred once so far but Corrin was still reeling over it. Corrin didn't understand it at first, she knew she hadn't exactly trained in a few days but she had been fighting and a sword still felt right in her hand. Then she realized that Kamui's fighting style was Hoshido based…his skills had always been self-taught and now he had someone who actually knew how to teach him to perfect his technique. Xander always said that one day Kamui would surpass him as a swordsman but now Corrin knew that Kamui was held back so that time might come sooner now, what a terrifying thought.

Of course that didn't mean Corrin's skills were not growing either. It was just her swordsmanship that was starting to lack behind her brother a bit. Her magic was still growing. Her wind and fire magic were just a simple call away now and she was working on trying to figure out how to use lightning. She didn't have any luck yet since the way to use lightning was a little obscure. She had to desire power but at the same time be calm and calculated, at least that's what the books all said. She wanted to try her hand at dark magic as well but there wasn't any luck there either. Hoshido didn't have any dark magic either so she was out of luck finding someone to teach her.

"Thank you, Brother," Corrin replied with a smile. Ryoma gave her a small smile before he went up to her and Takumi and placed a hand on their shoulders.

"You are both doing just fine, legends weren't made in a single day. They were made over the course of months even years, sometimes a full mortal lifetime or even a full dragon blood lifetime, which could range over eons upon eons. Just keep up your work, I know you'll both make me proud," Ryoma praised and Corrin felt her heart lighten up and she saw Takumi brighten up too. Ryoma really did know how to both put you down and cheer you right back up. Before Corrin could reply though, the loud voice of her new big sister cut in.

"Hey, guys! Stop messing around, we have to go!" Hinoka shouted. Corrin winced a little since she wasn't so far away that she had to shout but she still turned to her sister with a smile. She was standing right outside the dojo, beckoning them over. Corrin also noticed that Azura was standing with her, looking a little flustered at the way Hinoka told them they were there.

Corrin didn't know what to make of Azura really. One might think that Corrin and Kamui would hit it off with her right away since she was in the same position as them, except they would be wrong in this case. While the twins got along with Azura just fine, they both felt odd around her. She was polite, friendly and even a bit funny but she also seemed a bit mysterious. She wasn't exactly so mysterious to the point of off-putting but it was enough to make even Corrin weary. Hinoka and the others all said that Azura was just like that but the twins weren't sure just yet. They just needed to time to get used to her hopefully. Kamui seemed to be finding some middle ground with her if the times they spent in the morning were anything to go off of. In fact, Corrin was wondering if there was more to that than Kamui just helping her with her dances or cooking, she'd seen them talking and laughing multiple times over the week.

"Does big brother have a crush?" Corrin thought. The thought was rather hard to imagine. It wasn't that Kamui was incapable of loving someone in a romantic sense. After all there was that songstress he danced with in Crykensia that one time and of course there was Camilla but Kamui never did anything. Before Corrin could think on it more, she shook it off; no use playing with those thoughts.

"Hinoka? What's wrong?" Ryoma asked in full alert mode like they were about to be attacked. Hinoka chuckled slightly before she shook her head.

"Nothing is wrong, we just need to go. Mother is summoning all of us to the Throne Room, must be some kind of important meeting if she wants all of us there. Now come on, Kamui's already waiting there and if Mother is still teasing him he won't appreciate it if we take too long," Hinoka joked near the end of her explanation and Corrin giggled while Azura shook her head. Ryoma shook his head with a slight smile while Takumi and Sakura were a little neutral at the news.

"I see, so it's that time already. Very well, come along everyone," Ryoma prodded and commanded. Corrin wanted to ask what was going on but she had a feeling she'd find out soon enough. She shared a look with Takumi and Sakura before they followed after Ryoma, Azura and Hinoka towards the throne room. They weren't that far so the only thing that passed between them was simple talk until they reached the throne room. Upon seeing them, the guards opened the door right away.

"The plans are already finished and the people are gathering as we speak, your majesty," a rather measured voice spoke. Corrin saw a man kneeling towards the throne while her mother was sitting up on her throne while her brother was standing off to the side at the foot of the steps. Kamui and Mikoto's eyes went to Corrin and her siblings right away and they both nodded to them before turning back to the kneeling man.

"Thank you, Yukimura. Please rise, the others are here now," Mikoto thanked as she motioned for the man to rise. Yukimura rose from his kneeling position and turned around to give a standing bow towards Corrin and her siblings.

"Milords and Ladies, a pleasure to see you again. And it is a distinct pleasure to see you again, Princess Corrin. It is truly a god send that both you and Prince Kamui have returned," the man said respectfully. Yukimura was a young man with long blue-grey hair done in a ponytail. He wore a pair of glasses over his gentle blue eyes. He wore a blue long sleeve shirt along with what she thought were blue hakama pants. Then he wore light looking black armor though the armor looked like it was merged with a tunic a builder would wear. Then of course he had the symbol of Hoshido stamped on both of his shoulder-pads. The only other noteworthy thing was that he was carrying a book in one hand, not a tome, an actual book.

"This is Yukimura, Hoshido's top tactician. It is by his grace that Hoshido has remained safe so far," Mikoto introduced warmly. Yukimura chuckled offhanded though Corrin thought he was a little embarrassed by the praise. She saw her twin smile slightly before he turned back to his usual stoic look. Except Corrin saw a certain shadow cast itself on his visage like he was haunted by something. Before she could say anything though, Yukimura responded.

"Nonsense, your majesty is simply exaggerating things. I am just a strategist. Prince Ryoma and Princess Hinoka are the ones who have fought to keep our kingdom safe and my Queen, you are the one who has kept our kingdom at peace…until now unfortunately," Yukimura finished up the last part with a sunken look and Corrin tilted her head in confusion. Ryoma and Hinoka stiffened though, making her go alert.

"What? What's happening?" Hinoka asked.

"That is why we have called all of you here," Mikoto cut in as she stood from her throne.

"Has Nohr grown bold enough to try and penetrate the barrier around our kingdom again? Have they amassed an army of Faceless?" Ryoma asked but Mikoto shook her head. Faceless? Again? Corrin looked towards her twin only to see the same worry reflected in his eyes. Was war already coming to them?

"No, fortunately there have been no sightings of Faceless since that group you dispatched to the north. I am afraid there is something more pressing than Faceless though. King Garon is requesting that we allow a Nohrian envoy into our kingdom to talk. He is claiming that Hoshido attacked Nohr at the Bottomless Canyon. He is also blaming the deaths of Kamui and Corrin on our kingdom as well," Mikoto explained and Corrin flinched.

Nohr thought that they were dead? Oh gods…Xander, Camilla, Leo and Elise. They must have been grieving all this time while they were what? Playing without a care in the world? Corrin could only imagine the pain the four must have been going through. And they were going to attack Hoshido? No! They could prevent this! Corrin and Kamui were alive they could fix this!

"King Garon sent us there to die. That way he would have all the reason he needed to attack Hoshido," Kamui said angrily. Hinoka and Takumi muttered a few curses while Ryoma just crossed his arms in thought and Sakura fiddled with her staff nervously before Azura placed a comforting hand on the little girls shoulder.

Corrin's sword felt heavy at the memory of the canyon. She looked down at the blade that had almost taken her life before she shook her head. If Lilith had not interfered when she did then both her and her brother would be dead and Garon would have used that as reason to attack Hoshido. He had to go…that much was certain; Corrin knew that her brother had decided that already. Still though, there had to be a way to fix things before they got worse.

"Can't we tell them that Kamui and I are alive? That would take out one of the King's lies and then we would be able to expose the truth," Corrin pointed out and her mother nodded.

"That is exactly why I am going to make an announcement to all of Hoshido that you two are alive and well. This way we might be able to give pause to Garon long enough to explain ourselves," Mikoto explained and Corrin felt relief flow through her. She looked towards her twin but she didn't see her relief reflected in his eyes, she saw dread. What was bothering him? What did their mother and Yukimura tell him before they got there?

"So the defenses are in place then?" Ryoma asked as he stepped forward.

"Indeed, the guards are already in place and the people have already gathered in the square," Yukimura replied.

"Good then we shall begin shortly. Hinoka, would you and the others be so kind and take Corrin into town? Ryoma, Yukimura and I need to set some things up before we make the announcement," Mikoto addressed and Hinoka gave a small smile and nodded.

"Of course but, what about Kamui? Is he not coming with us as well?" Hinoka asked and Corrin almost laughed at the disappointment in her voice.

"I'll be there, Mother wants to go over a few things with me and then I need to change. If things are as tense as we think then I need to dress appropriately. Don't worry I'll be out there fast," Kamui answered as he started towards the door. Hinoka looked like she wanted to say she wanted to stay but she didn't and simply nodded.

"I'll stay if you want," Azura said and Hinoka froze and looked at her with what Corrin would call outrage. Oh dear…it was outrage. Thankfully Kamui seemed to notice as well since his eyes darted between the two.

"Its fine Azura. I won't be long, so go spend some time with the others first. We can spend time together when I join you, I promise," Kamui said and Azura frowned but she smiled shortly after and nodded.

"I look forward to it," Azura said and Corrin felt nervous when she saw Hinoka's eyes twitch. Even Sakura shuffled a littler nervously while their mother just smiled. Thankfully Hinoka just sighed and shook her head.

"Let's get going then," Hinoka said a little dejectedly and this time while Azura was practically beaming though it was really just her sporting a small smile. It was more than she usually did though. Corrin couldn't help but laugh a little; Sakura did the same though she was quieter about it. Hinoka and Azura left past them but Hinoka grabbed Corrin by her cloak. Corrin waved goodbye to her twin for now but he only gave her a halfhearted wave back, making her worry for him return.

 **Later**

"It's just as lively as the Winter Festival!" Corrin shouted over the sounds of the bustling crowd. It was so crowded that the group had to basically walk single file through. They were almost like a little chain, they held onto each other so that way someone wouldn't get lost. Hinoka led the way in the front followed by Corrin then Sakura, Azura and Takumi at the end. Though Corrin knew that Takumi was grumbling about the fact he had to hold hands as they went through the crowd.

"I know! Mother really wanted everyone to hear about this! The market must be booming right now since there's more people here than usual!" Hinoka shouted back. At least at the Winter Festival they could talk to each other normally. Corrin could barely hear her siblings and they were right next to each other!

"Can we please find a place where I can have some arm room!?" Takumi shouted from the back. Corrin winced a little at his demand but she could see his point. They were a little…cramped. Corrin almost lost Sakura a few times, she was temped to just pull the girl into her side so that she wouldn't lose her.

"Sure! Hang on!" Hinoka shouted back as she dragged their makeshift chain towards the right. Corrin managed to see the dragon statue from earlier over the crowd; thankfully she was tall for a girl so she could at least see where they were going. She kind of missed the part of Nohr where the people would give them space. Nohr…

"Here we are! Mother is going to give her speech here so we already cleared this area out! We'll just wait here!" Hinoka shouted energetically as she pulled them into the middle of the square where the Dawn Dragon statue stood. There were guards stationed in a circle around the statue, keeping the crowd diverted away from it. It was also a safe haven from the crowds! The guards looked at them all for a moment before they flinched and bowed as they passed into the free circle around the statue.

"Finally!" Takumi sighed as he stretched his arms out to the side in relief. Azura straightened out her dress and her hair while Sakura sort of just clung to Corrin's hand. The princess almost wrapped the girl in a hug since she was so adorable. The fact that she was so shy was as endearing as Elise's energy.

"I don't recall ever feeling so suffocated since Hinoka cooked our breakfast…" Azura said lightly. Corrin was caught off guard by the sudden comment and started laughing when she saw the shock cover Hinoka's face. Azura joined in while Sakura held her hand over her mouth to keep her laugh down. Takumi turned away looking unimpressed but Corrin saw a small smile on his face.

"Hey!" Hinoka defended, her face almost as red as her hair. Hinoka shook in anger as she raised her hand to cuff them but before she could, a familiar voice broke in.

"What's so funny?" Kamui asked as he suddenly appeared right next to them. Hinoka jumped in surprise and turned to face the smiling prince. Corrin giggled as her sister sputtered to reply. Kamui was wearing his armor again though Corrin noticed he replaced his cloak with a white one, she'd wager that the Hoshido symbol was stamped on the back. She also saw a familiar ninja and oni standing at both of his flanks. Kaze was focused as usual but Rinkah actually had a smirk on her face as she watched Hinoka try to come up with an excuse. Come to think of it, where did those three come from? Did they worm their way through the crowd too?

"N-Nothing! Azura here was just running her mouth off! Like when she tries to make people think there's ghosts in the palace!" Hinoka exclaimed. Azura gasped and was about to reply but before she could, Hinoka wrapped her arm around her neck and pulled her in and drove her other hand into her hair and started rubbing her fist into her head.

"Ah! Hinoka stop!" Azura gasped/laughed as she squirmed around in Hinoka's grasp. Kamui and Corrin broke into a laugh as they watched and their sisters joined in. Takumi covered his mouth to mask his smile while Rinkah let out small snickers. Kaze to his credit didn't laugh but he put on a gentle smile to show that he wasn't completely businesslike. Corrin shook her head as she laughed at the scene but then she came to a pause as she watched the antics in front of her.

Corrin wouldn't be lying if she said she enjoyed her time in Hoshido. It was definitely different and she was free. Except she felt a little empty in Hoshido. She appreciated what the people there had done for her and she believed that the Queen was her mother and that the royal family was her family by birth. Except she felt like something was missing, well a lot of things were missing really.

Corrin was by no means ungrateful but she…well after thinking about it for a while, Hoshido didn't exactly feel right to her. At least not for a prolonged time, it wasn't like she hated it. She just felt slightly out of place. To put it simply, while Nohr was dark it was her home, at least she felt that way. The castles were always beautiful to her and while the people weren't always nice they always had a certain understanding since they all lived in the dark together. It made the times of light all the more beautiful since everyone would cherish it like a delicacy. Plus it was a little annoying since the constant bright light in Hoshido made it almost impossible for her to sleep in.

Though while she missed those little things, she missed her family the most. She missed waking up for Xander's admittedly exhausting training. She missed doing her hair with Camilla and playing dress up with Elise or using the little princess to convince her twin to bake things for them. Those were always the best times to Corrin. They were hardly perfect but it gave more meaning to those happy times they all shared. Corrin wondered if that was how her brother felt. He was happy in Hoshido, happier than he ever was in Nohr. Would he even be ok with going back to Nohr? After they solved everything, Corrin wanted to go back and live her life to the fullest. But there was a little more to that…

"Leo…" Corrin thought a little pleadingly as the image of the dark knight flashed through her mind. Her face flushed slightly at the thought and she reached up towards her neck only to frown when she didn't feel the garment that was supposed to be there. Her scarf, it was a gift from Leo for her sixteenth birthday. He knitted it himself even though he tried to deny it. She never went anywhere without it…the only reason she didn't have it was because she had gotten it torn during training and Leo was repairing it. He hadn't given it back to her yet and now she didn't know if he would ever get the chance to now.

Corrin wasn't blind, she could see what she thought were developing feelings building in Leo and her? Well, she had never really thought about it, she had more free time than her twin but romance wasn't on her thoughts very often. If he came to her and said the words she wouldn't exactly be opposed…he was rather cute even when he was being a jerk. She could picture pushing him down and ha- Corrin's cheeks tinted red at the idea of sharing a wedding night with Leo. Curse Camilla and her stupid "secret" bookshelf!

"Onee-Chan are you ok?" Sakura asked from beside her. Corrin blinked and saw that Hinoka was stilling messing up Azura's hair while Kamui shook his head in amusement. Corrin looked back down towards her little sister with a bright smile.

"Sorry, I was just thinking about something funny. Do you need something?" Corrin asked. Sakura tilted her head in question but she shook her head.

"I was asking how you were liking your stay…I don't remember much about you or Onii-Chan…" Sakura said cutely. Corrin had to resist the urge to crush her in a hug since she was being too cute for her. Before she could reply though she heard her twin speak up.

"Ok that's enough, we don't want you to mess her hair up too much," Kamui said as he grabbed Hinoka and Azura and wrenched them apart. Azura jumped back a few steps and glared at the red headed Sky Knight as she straightened out her hair. Hinoka just had a smug look on her face while Kamui shook his head again in amusement.

"So how long until we can go mingle?" Kamui asked as he picked at one of Azura's locks and put it back in place. Hinoka huffed a little at that while Azura smiled slightly.

"We just need to wait for Mother and then we'll be able to mingle with the people, Onii-Chan!" Sakura exclaimed over the crowds. Kamui nodded in acknowledgement.

"That makes sense, you still want me to accompany you, Azura?" Kamui asked and the blue haired girl nodded. Hinoka seemed put off by it though she tried to hide it.

"Of course, you promised. There's something I want to show you too," Azura said as she wrapped one of her arms around Kamui's. Surprisingly he didn't shy away from the contact and simply smiled. That brought a smile to Corrin's face, even though Hinoka seemed to be fuming. Things were definitely getting interesting; perhaps Kamui was going to actually commit to something. Then a flash of Camilla went through Corrin's mind and she frowned for a bit. Corrin felt like she should be doing something to help her big sister out but at the same time, Kamui did look very happy…

"Well this is certainty turning out to be fun. Don't you think so, Corrin?" Kamui asked, knocking Corrin from her thoughts. She smiled but before she could speak up, someone else beat her to the punch line.

"Don't get used to it…" Takumi said suddenly and Corrin's eyes widened and turned towards the archer. All traces of amusement were gone and straight up anger and annoyance took its place.

"Pardon?" Kamui asked, turning serious in the blink of an eye.

"You heard me…you and your sister should not get used to being this comfortable. After everything gets settled you'll be sent back where you belong," Takumi said rather harshly. Corrin winced at the…bluntness of the statement; she thought that he was warming up to them.

"Oh?" Kamui said, unimpressed. Corrin felt Sakura tighten her grip on her hand and she squeezed her back reassuringly. Hinoka looked peeved at what Takumi said while Azura returned to a neutral state. Kaze looked a little disturbed but Rinkah was the one who surprised Corrin. She looked like she was about to pounce on Takumi and rip him apart like he just insulted her instead.

"Brother, please be rea-" Takumi held his hand up and pointed at Corrin accusingly, silencing her before she could finish.

"You be quiet! And don't call me that! You aren't my sister and you sure aren't my brother! I could never be a brother to a murderer who killed his own people! Why do you think those two are with you? They're with you to make sure you don't kill again!" Takumi shouted in anger. Corrin flinched at the sheer rage in his words but it was his cutting words against Kamui that were so surprising. Her brother's eyes widened as did everyone's aside from the one who said that words. Even Kaze was caught off guard by the barb.

"Is that so?" Kamui said icily, face hardening into a glare as he took a few steps towards the archer. Corrin glared at Takumi as well, not at all pleased with him calling out her twin like that. How dare he…her brother wasn't a murderer, he was a hero!

"Takumi please! They're your sister and brother! Don't you feel happy to have them back?" Azura interfered quickly as she stepped in between Takumi and Kamui. Except Takumi just shook his head with a growl.

"Don't you dare address me like that, Azura! You're no better than those two! Just another Nohrian scum! I see you cozying up to that murderer!" Takumi shouted as he stepped towards her. Azura flinched but she didn't back away. It was surprising how the people hadn't noticed what was happening but then again the guards were keeping them from seeing.

"That might very well be…but these two are your blood, your family!" Azura pleaded. Takumi looked like he was going to hit her or worse but before he could, Hinoka stormed up and smacked him over the head.

"Enough! Takumi behave yourself! They're our brothers and sisters!" Hinoka reprimanded as Takumi clutched his head in pain. Hinoka spared a look back towards them but Corrin shook her head. While that outburst was…out of place, she was used to it. She grew up with Leo after all. Still though it wasn't her that most of that anger was aimed at anyway.

"Kamui?" Corrin asked as she turned towards her brother. Sakura was giving him a hug while Azura placed her hand on his shoulder. Kamui pat Sakura's head in thanks while he shared a small smile with Azura. Rinkah looked like she was steaming while Kaze had his eyes closed in concentration.

Corrin went over to talk to him but she heard the crowd around them grow louder. Her eyes snapped towards the palace and she saw the crowd part for none other than her mother and her older brother with guards of course. A small part of her mind felt a little irked at the fact that they parted for her mother and her brother but not for her or her other siblings. Actually did they part for Kamui? She didn't actually see him come; he kind of just turned up. Maybe Kaze had a way of getting them through the crowd smoothly; he was a ninja after all.

"Thank you all for gathering on such a short notice!" Mikoto announced as she entered the little clearing made for her speech. The crowd immediately grew silent when she started speaking, which surprised Corrin since the crowd was so loud just moments prior. How did they all hear her? She felt someone grab her hand and pull her and it wasn't until she was next to her twin did she realize that it was Azura who did it.

"Just be quiet and wait for her to introduce you…" Azura whispered to her and Corrin nodded before Azura took her place next to Hinoka and Kamui. Her twin's guards/watchers situated themselves behind them while the Queen moved in front of them all. Ryoma gave Corrin and Kamui a nod as he passed them and took his place on Corrin's open side. The guards fanned out over the area to block anything or anyone that might seek to deal harm.

"I have come bearing terrible news, the King of Nohr is blaming Hoshido for the battle at the Bottomless Canyon. Except we all know that he planned that battle. He is accusing us of murdering two of his very children but I am here to tell you all that is as far from the truth as one can be!" Mikoto announced. There were small murmurs that filtered through the crowd but nothing too loud. Corrin saw many of them actually point towards both her and Kamui. She felt her brother reach over and clasp her hand with his own and she squeezed it back reassuringly.

"We have not murdered any royalty of Nohr! We have reclaimed those that were stolen from us eleven long years ago!" Mikoto continued. This time the murmuring from the crowd had a more excited tone to it. She turned towards her twin and they shared a smile before they turned back to their mother.

"I'm sure many of you remember that I lost not just my husband but two children that day…but now at least my children have returned," Mikoto spoke as she turned around to fact them. She gave them all a bright smile and Corrin felt her heart warm up from the affection.

Her mother motioned for her and Kamui to come forward but right as Corrin took one step forward, Kamui's hand tightened around hers alarmingly. She tensed and looked towards Kamui only to see him staring at something with narrowed eyes. Except before Corrin could see what he was looking at, she felt her sword start shaking.

"What?" Corrin looked down at her sword only to stare with wide eyes at an eye staring right back at her from the hilt of her sword. It was a yellow eye with a slit pupil that gave her chills. Her sword was glowing with a vicious purple glow and before Corrin could do anything it literally flew out of its sheath.

"Watch out!" Corrin shouted. Her mother had a shocked look on her face and a sword made out of…ethereal blue energy appeared in her hand. She lunged towards the flying sword but the blade went over her, towards the crowd. Corrin's eyes widened when a dark cloaked man jumped from the shocked crowd to grab the Ganglari.

"Get back!" Mikoto shouted as she turned to face the interloper, her ethereal sword poised for a strike. In a flash an assortment of other weapons appeared around her but while Corrin was surprised she was more focused on the danger. The guards in the circle all drew their weapons on the cloaked man but he didn't seem to care. Ryoma moved in front with their mother as he placed his hand on his sword. Kaze and Rinkah ran in front of the rest of them with their weapons drawn, staying just behind the Queen and the High Prince.

"Who are you!?" Ryoma demanded. Corrin felt her twin tug her back and let go of her. Then she found herself next to Sakura and Azura. Azura had the younger, shaking girl pulled into her side protectively. Corrin looked around to see what was happening.

Takumi had drawn his bow next to Corrin. He had an energy bolt, ready to fire on the cloaked man. Hinoka had her naginata hefted in her battle stance as she stood in front of Azura and Sakura protectively. Kamui had both his blades drawn and was standing guard with Hinoka. Corrin moved slightly in front of the two unarmed girls and ignited her hands with flames. A magic wielder was never defenseless. She wouldn't let this attacker harm her family, especially not the ones that couldn't defend themselves.

"Explain yourself!" Ryoma demanded again as he drew his Raijinto from it's sheath. Corrin raised her hands towards the man, ready to throw a fireball at him. She spared a glance backwards to see Azura nod to her as she continued to watch over their youngest. Content that Azura would be fine, Corrin turned back towards cloaked man who had still made no moves. The guards had already surrounded him but he did nothing, he didn't even raise HER sword. She wanted that back after this was done and she would dispel whatever dark magic done to it.

"I am here to set events in motion…and unlock the last gate on the power within some of you…so you may start gaining real power…" the masked man said. The voice was unfamiliar and a little warped. Corrin's eyes widened when she saw the same purple energy emanating from the Ganglari start emanating from the man.

"What?" Corrin said. Then the main raised the sword up and stabbed it into the ground.

"Takumi shoot!" Corrin shouted as she threw two fireballs at the man. Takumi thankfully listened to her since he loosed his arrow. Unfortunately whatever the man did, created an orb of purple energy around him. The projectiles just dissipated against the shield. Then Corrin flinched when the energy expanded out like a wave.

"Look out!" Ryoma shouted as he turned towards them. He ran towards Corrin and Takumi and basically tackled them down to the ground but not so low that Corrin couldn't see what was happening. The orb expanded out quickly, creating a large shockwave. The guards and the crowd were all thrown off their feet right away, some of them even went flying. The buildings around him were shaken from the sheer force as well.

"NO!" Corrin's eyes widened when her mother stuck her hands out and then a…shield appeared in front of her that extended over her and everyone behind her. The shield was made of ethereal blue energy like the weapon she was holding a moment ago. Whatever it was seemed to work though since the energy wave didn't affect them. She saw the energy literally hit the shield with a terrible crashing sound but thankfully the shield did not fall. Corrin started to feel relief when something terrible happened.

"Mother!" Takumi shouted and Corrin's eyes widened when she saw the shield start to crack as the energy wave beat against it. Their mother fell to her knee and Corrin could see that her arms were shaking to hold the barrier up. More cracks appeared as the energy continued to beat against it and Corrin felt dread start building up in her again.

"Sakura stay behind me no matter what!" Corrin heard Azura order. She turned to see Azura crouch over Sakura protectively as she covered the younger girl with her entire body. Kamui and Hinoka huddled around the two as well and helped Azura shield the smaller girl and brace together. Rinkah and Kaze ran over to them as if they sought to shield them from the blast themselves.

"I got you!" Ryoma assured as he wrapped an arm around Corrin and another around Takumi. Corrin spared a glance at her little brother to see regret and fear staring back at her.

"No! I won't let you hurt them!" their mother shouted suddenly as she stood back up and let out a loud cry of determination. The cracks on the shield repaired themselves and the shield let off an even brighter glow as it held strong. She let out another cry of determinations as she pushed forward and the shield seemed to expand in the direction of the energy blast. Corrin was in awe as she saw her mother push against the dark sphere of purple energy. Just moments ago she was about to collapse but now she was winning.

"Begone!" their mother pushed with one final motion and her shield forced its way against the dark sphere, practically shattering it on impact and causing an explosion. The barrier protected them from the explosion and the dust that was kicked up around the area. Corrin didn't see the cloaked man anywhere; their mother must have stopped him. After a few moments Mikoto lowered her arms and let out a shaky breath. Her barrier lowered slowly as she shakily turned towards them all. She smiled at all of them and Corrin felt a smile leak onto her face as she started to rise up from her braced position. She did it! Except…

"Gods…" Corrin said. She looked around the square to see that the square was ruined. The area was littered with dust and dirt, the buildings were still standing but many of them were missing parts now. Unfortunately that wasn't the worst of it though there were bodies everywhere. The crowd, the guards, their bodies were littered around the square, unmoving. There was little blood but the fact that they were unmoving spoke for itself.

"Indeed, our mother is quite powerful…but still, what was that…to cause all this…" Ryoma muttered next to her. Corrin started shaking slightly as she looked at all the bodies around them. This was caused by HER sword…oh gods…

"Are you all alright?" their mother asked tiredly as she walked towards them. Corrin turned towards her mother with sad eyes and her mother frowned as she reached out towards her. Corrin was about to run to her but before she could, her eyes widened when the dust behind her mother dispersed, revealing the cloaked man holding Ganglari.

"Die…"

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 **As much as I hate to do this I cut the part here since the chapter would have been a little too long otherwise. This was as good a place as any to cut it for now. Don't worry though the next part will be coming soon enough!**


	11. Yato

I don't own Fire Emblem

 **Ok here's the next part of my little story, hope you guys enjoy! But enough banter, you guys want to see the story! Enjoy!**

 **Legendary Zoroark: That was intentional; I wanted to give Takumi a little more depth so that it has more meaning when he's nicer to them later.**

 **Guest: Don't get mad at me. It was either break it there or break it somewhere it wouldn't make sense.**

 **Chapter 10: Yato**

* * *

 **Both Twins POV**

"Look out!" Kamui and Corrin both shouted. Their mother flinched and turned around to see the cloaked man level his sword at her. Kamui broke into a sprint before anyone else could react and pulled Kiba back and threw it. Corrin threw a fireball at the man on instinct while the rest of her siblings and friends tried to mobilize to reach the assailant or their mother before it was too late.

"Disperse…" the Ganglari exploded into fragments. Kiba was flung off course by the fragments; Corrin's fireball was practically absorbed harmlessly. Kaze threw three shuriken at the fragments but they bounced off harmlessly. Then much to the twin's horror the blade fragments flew right at their mother.

"No!" Kamui broke his sprint and changed course for his mother while Corrin broke into her own sprint, she could hear the cries of Sakura and Azura behind her. Ryoma tried to jump into the path of the fragments but he was literally a second too late before they passed him. Hinoka was sprinting for their mother as well but like the rest she was too far away. An energy bolt from Takumi's bow ran into the fragments but only one of them was taken down. Kamui threw Tsume at the fragments but like Kiba it was flung off course before it got close. Their mother raised her hands and created a smaller barrier in front of her but the twins both watched in horror as the fragments pierced the barrier like paper. Their mother must have been exhausted from earlier.

"No!" the twins shouted in despair as the fragments pierced their mother viciously. Their mother gasped when she was impaled over a dozen times. Then she started falling towards the ground.

"Mother!" Kamui reached her first and caught her before she fell to the ground. He eased her down, holding her securely as he felt his eyes grow moist. Corrin reached them next, crouching down on their mother's free side; tears were already falling down her cheeks. Kamui looked down at his mother's injuries and his eyes widened as he saw the numerous wounds already start to make his mother's dress turn dark red.

"Kamui! Do something!" Corrin grabbed her twin's shoulder and Kamui instantly raised his left hand over their mother's wounds and started pouring his healing magic over the wounds. The twins detected Ryoma and the others arrive at the scene but they didn't interfere.

"Sakura! Help, hurry!" Corrin screamed as she turned towards her little sister. Sakura was staring in horror at the scene as she clutched onto an equally horrified Azura but Corrin's plea reached her and she immediately ran over and placed both her hands over their mother's wounds and started trying to heal them with Kamui.

"C-Corrin….K-Kamui…everyone…" their mother groaned. The twins both turned their gazes to their mother's face, which was strained.

"Mother! It's all right! We got you!" Corrin shouted frantically as she stared in desperation at the wounds that refused to heal despite Kamui and Sakura's best efforts. Corrin felt angry and guilty tears slip down her cheeks faster, she had caused this…no…she couldn't lose her mother like this! She still didn't remember her! She felt someone place their hand on her shoulder and pull her back so Sakura could take her place. Corrin almost thrashed against the person who did it but she stopped when she saw that it was Hinoka.

"Stop! Let them work. You'll only get in the way…" Hinoka said tensely but Corrin could hear the despair in her voice.

"You! Bastard!" Corrin turned to see Takumi and Ryoma attack the cloaked man but right as their blows would have struck him he just disappeared.

"Mother…please…not now…I'm still remembering you…" Kamui pleaded slowly as he tried desperately to close the wounds. Whatever those fragments were, they were effective. The blades were no longer in the wounds but it was like they evaporated into poison. No matter how hard he tried, the wounds refused to close. His mother's dress was almost completely red in the torso area at this point.

"I-It's ok, we can do this, Onii-Chan!" Sakura said shakily as she tried to heal their mother as well. Kamui felt someone place their hand on his shoulder but he ignored it.

"I…It's too late…Kamui, Sakura please…don't exhaust yourselves over me…" Mikoto groaned and Kamui's eyes widened and everyone else tensed.

"Don't say that! We can save you!" Kamui pleaded as he stared desperately at his mother's pained grey eyes. She shook her head slowly before she gasped in pain.

"I…I'm happy that I got to see my darling twins again before I go…I'm happy I got to see you both grown into a handsome prince and a beautiful princess. I'm glad that you got to meet your family here in Hoshido…I'm glad I got to see your heart stir…" the queen whispered, her voice growing softer with each word.

"Mother no!" Corrin gasped as she knelt back down over her mother. Ryoma and Takumi had rushed over to stand over their dying mother as well. Corrin grabbed her mother's hand and held it tightly as if she was trying to will her own life into her mother. Kamui's eyes widened as he stared at his mother smile at them all for one last time before she closed her eyes. He felt her go still in his arms as her head tilted back. She died with a smile, seeing her family as she passed.

"Mother!" Corrin screamed in anguish as she practically fell onto her mother's body. Sobs wracked her body, as she couldn't believe what just happened. Moments ago they were happy and they were about to bring an end to the coming war between Nohr and Hoshido. Now…now her mother was gone, she couldn't remember anything about her, even now that she was dead, Corrin couldn't remember anything, the pain did nothing to jog her memory and that made her sob harder.

"No…" Kamui heard Sakura and Corrin's sobs as they cried over their mother's passing. Kamui even heard Hinoka's more controlled sniffles, Azura's quieter sobs and Takumi's curses. The hand on his shoulder tightened and he pulled the hand he was using to heal his mother back to stare at it. His shaking hand was covered in his mother's blood blood and then a sharp pain ran through his head.

"Mother…" memories flooded Kamui's mind like a waterfall. All of them involved his mother. She was smiling in all of them, whether it was because she was playing with him, cooking for him, patching a scrapped knee, it didn't matter. She was smiling in all the memories he received. This act itself forced the tears in the Prince's eyes to finally break through and fall. His mother…he remembered all of it…but it required her death for him to do it. He placed his mother down on the ground gently and leaned back on his knees. He felt someone wrap their arms around him from behind and he saw white strands of hair on the edge of his vision that weren't the same shade as his, Rinkah...he turned and wrapped his arms around the Oni and let his tears fall.

"It's ok…there is no shame in grieving for a loved one…" The oni stroked his hair gently as she pulled him against her tightly, something he found surprisingly soothing. Kamui sensed Azura kneel down behind him but she didn't touch him.

"Onee-Chan…" Corrin felt Sakura hug her side and she wrapped her arms around the smaller girl and pulled her into a tight hug on reflex as she continued to sob. In the back of her mind she knew that as an older sibling she was supposed to comfort her but the despair and guilt she felt was too great and it overpowered her siblings instincts. She felt Hinoka wrap her arms around both of them and she accepted it and just sobbed in the comfort of her family's arms.

"Finally…you both feel true despair…now you will begin to gain power like you've never felt before…" the twins both tensed when they heard that voice. Anger flowed through both of them as their embraces broke. They weren't the only ones unhappy to hear that voice. Everyone present who was still living rose to face the man. Kamui called both his blades back to his hands and Corrin's hands ignited with flames.

"Bastard…" Takumi cursed as he raised his bow towards the man. The rest of them raised their weapons but before anything happened, energy exploded from the twins. Kamui vaguely noticed his necklace start to glow as golden energy started to radiate from him. Likewise, purple energy started to radiate from Corrin but unlike her brother she didn't really notice it, she could think about little else except tearing her mother's murder apart.

"Corrin…Kamui?" the twins didn't know who said that or if everyone said that. All they knew was that their mother's murderer had to pay.

"That's it…let go…if you don't I'll just keep killing until you do…" the cloaked man taunted as he crossed his arms at them.

"You're going to die…screaming in agony…" Corrin hissed. Something inside the twins snapped and then suddenly the energy radiating from them grew stronger until it practically obscured them from view. Then the twins started yelling in anger.

"Ah!-Rawr!" the yells of the twins turned bestial but only Kamui noticed it. The twins both felt pain wrack their bodies like their bodies were changing from the inside out.

They both fell to all fours as their energy ran rampant around them. They felt their bodies start to convulse and change. They felt their bodies grow in size; they felt their limbs turn longer and a little slimmer. Their necks extended a bit and their heads shifted and changed while something covered their heads and skin. Their entire body changed shape into…something. They felt two limbs emerge from their backs and flap out, wings? They also felt another extra limb grow out of their lower backs and whip around, a tail? The…stuff that covered their skin turned hard and they realized it was their skin now. They felt claws grow out from their fingers and toes while their new jaws grew razor-sharp teeth. While they changed though, they felt power flow through them, power like they'd never felt before. Power and instinct flowed through them…the instinct to kill. When the twins felt their bodies stop changing the energy around them dissipated. Except…only Kamui remained conscious of things.

* * *

 **Kamui's POV**

"!?" Kamui settled down onto all four of his limbs but then he flinched and looked down at his hands to see their new state. He looked at his whole body to see a pair of silvery wings that moved on his command and a silver scaled tail that moved on command as well. He looked over himself to find that he was a…dragon? Clad in silver and black scales save for a red gem that appeared on what he thought was his chest. He even had horns on his head. He quickly found that he couldn't speak; whatever he tried to say came out in growls or roars. How did this happen? He was just so angry with his mother's murderer and well…then a lot of physical pain. He was about to freak out but before he could, he heard a rather violent roar and he turned to his left to see another silver scaled dragon.

"Corrin?" Kamui thought as he stared at his sister as she stood on her hind legs while it roared to the sky. Corrin was basically identical to him though she was a little shorter and slimmer than he was. Kamui stepped towards his sister but when he got too close, he had to back away as his sister swiped her tail at him. Kamui growled at her in annoyance for trying to hit him but he was surprised when his sister roared again and just charged towards him.

"What the hell?!" Kamui moved out of the way and his sister ran right into the building behind him, sending debris flying into the air. What was her problem!? She ran out of the building again and Kamui tensed but thankfully she didn't go for him, she went after the cloaked man. The prince-dragon growled when he saw his mother's murderer but before he could go after him, something else caught his attention.

"Watch out!" Kamui flinched and turned towards his family and friends. They were staring at him in shock but more importantly the debris was going right towards them. Takumi raised his bow and shot down all the debris that would have landed on him. Hinoka ducked out of the way of any debris while the rest did the same except Sakura who stood over their mother's body protectively even though a particularly large amount of debris was flying right towards her.

"No!" Kamui ran towards her and she shrieked and fell onto her rear but Kamui stopped in front of her and blocked all the debris with his body. He barely felt the wood and stone hit him, like paper balls had been thrown at him. He turned towards Sakura who was staring at him in shock and he let out a low growl that he thought sounded affectionate…if a dragon could sound affectionate. Regardless Sakura seemed to get his message since she stood up and reached out towards him.

"Onee-Chan? Can you…are you in there?" Sakura asked as she raised her hand out. Kamui met her halfway and leaned his head down towards her hand. He could barely feel her hand on his head because of his scales but the action was understood. Sakura actually smiled at him as he pulled his head back and stood back up at full height. He turned towards the rest of his siblings and friends to see them lower their weapons. Oh joy…they were about to attack him while he protected Sakura. He let out a dragonic sigh and shook his head at them.

"K-Kamui?" Hinoka asked hesitantly as she edged towards him a little fearfully. Kamui turned towards her and was about to go towards her but she flinched and he stopped.

"It's ok guys! It's him!" Sakura shouted as she moved in front of Kamui. The prince leaned down and prodded her with his head and Sakura actually giggled before she pushed back on his head. Kamui let out a pleased rumble and that seemed to knock down all issues the others had. Hinoka approached and placed a hand on his chest and ran her hand over his scales, something that felt surprisingly good to Kamui. Rinkah even came up and poked one of his arms/legs. The others all simply gathered around him.

"I know I said a fire was burning in your heart but I didn't mean this!" Rinkah exclaimed and Kamui laughed though it sort of came out as a series of grumbles from his throat. That felt weird, very weird. He still felt the need to rip his mother's murderer apart but his need to protect his family overrode his instincts.

"What happened to him, Ryoma?" Hinoka asked as she turned towards their elder brother.

"He is an ancient dragon…I've only seen carvings and pictures of them though. I have never seen one until now…much less see people turn into them…" Ryoma said tensely.

"Why did Corrin run off then? Kamui here is in control," Takumi asked as he crossed his arms. Azura cleared her throat at that.

"They say that people who transform into dragons, especially new ones needed something called a dragonstone in order to maintain their minds. Corrin has no dragonstone so she is running purely on instinct. Kamui's necklace must have been a dragonstone, I wonder where he got it though…" Azura explained thoughtfully as she walked up and placed her hand on the red gem built into the scales on Kamui's chest.

"My necklace?" Kamui thought. The gem he possessed was something he had with him ever since he arrived at Nohr. King Garon threw it off the fortress when Kamui refused to conform to his teachings. Camilla got it back for him and turned it into a necklace, she gifted it to him on his sixteenth birthday. He remembered that he was practically glued to Camilla for a while after that. He always felt very attached to it since it was the one thing he had associated with his past that he couldn't remember…until then…now he remembered it being given to him by his mother. His blood boiled at that thought, his eyes trailed to his mother's corpse and he let out a small hiss, making everyone flinch and back away from him. He flinched though and let out what he thought was an apologetic rumble. Before anything else could happen though, he saw everyone tense and turn.

"Look out!" Kamui's head snapped up at his older brother's warning only to cry out as his sister charged into him and rammed him through the dawn dragon statue. The statue stung a little but the charge hurt him more. He felt his sister bite down on his side and he let out a roar of pain before anger took it's place. He planted his limbs down into the ground and forced them to stop.

"Fine! Maybe she'll come to her senses after I knock them back into her!" Kamui thought angrily as he smashed his front leg into Corrin's neck, forcing her to release him. He winced as he felt blood leak from his wound but he didn't stop. He brought his front legs/arms up and grabbed Corrin's head before it could bit his neck then he lifted her off the ground and smashed her into the ground back first. Kamui roared as he tried to get on top of his sister and pin her down but before he could, her front legs lashed out and her claws sunk into his side.

"Ah ow! Sis! It's me!" Kamui thought as he batted her arm off of him and smashed his leg into the side of her head like he was trying to wake her up. He had to resist the urge to sink his claws or his teeth into her neck since he didn't want to hurt her. He struck her again and again to try and knock some sense into her but he had a feeling all he was doing was pissing her off and hurting her.

"Rawr!" Corrin sunk all four of her legs into Kamui's underbelly, making him roar in pain. Then she sunk her claws in deep and lifted him over her and slapped him into the building next to them. Kamui roared in pain as Corrin removed her claws from him but then he felt her pin him down. She grabbed his neck with her clawed hands and held it down as she opened her mouth up, revealing her razor sharp teeth that were still caked in his blood. She closed in on his neck; she was going to kill him. She sank her teeth into his neck tightly and Kamui roared in pain. She sunk her claws into his body again when he tried to push her off with all four of his limbs. Kamui winced when he felt her claws pull out of his neck and his body to sink into his limbs, forcing them down. He felt her teeth about to rip his throat open and he felt blackness start to creep in on his vision, it felt hard to breath now that his sister had her teeth dug into his neck, he felt his strength wane as well. So this was how he was going to die? At the hands of his own twin.

"Kamui!" the prince saw Rinkah smash her club onto Corrin's head. His sister let go of his neck, which hurt like hell and roared at Rinkah. The Oni swung again but this time Corrin ripped one of her legs off of Kamui and swiped at her, sending her flying back a few feet. Kamui growled weakly as his sister pulled her claws off of him and stalked towards Rinkah. Kamui tried to get up to stop his sister but he fell back down in pain.

"Corrin snap out of it!" Takumi shouted followed by one of his arrows shattering against Corrin's scales. Corrin roared and then she opened her mouth and surprisingly fire spewed forth from her mouth. Takumi cursed and dove behind rubble to avoid the flames. Kamui raised his head weakly as he moved himself so he was lying right side up at least. His wounds hurt like hell and he could taste his own blood in his mouth due to his neck wound.

"Corrin please! Stop this! Come back!" Kamui raised his head weakly to see Hinoka, Ryoma and Kaze try to subdue Corrin. Though it would have been laughable if the situation wasn't dire. They weren't even trying to attack her; they were trying to wrestle her down without hurting her like Kamui tried to do. Kaze jumped onto her back and wrapped his arms around her neck but she extended her wings and flew into the air and spun, sending Kaze tumbling into some of the rubble. Then Corrin smashed down into the ground and whipped her tail towards the smoking rubble, Takumi was hiding behind. The tail didn't hit the archer thankfully since he dove but he hit the ground a little painfully. As he was trying to get up, Corrin stalked towards his but Ryoma and Hinoka ran into her side but their force did little more than annoy Corrin since she just growled and backhanded them. Ryoma managed to catch himself and flip onto his feet before he hit the ground but Hinoka didn't and hit the ground painfully. She gasped in pain when she stop on a rock…

"Hinoka…" Kamui attempted to rise again but while he managed to get his limbs upright but when he tried to stand from the ground his injuries screamed in protest and he fell back down in a pain.

"Onee-Chan!" Sakura screamed as she rushed over to Hinoka and started tending to her wounds. Rinkah came to a sliding stop in front of them and raised her club at the approaching Corrin.

"These are your sisters! Get ahold of yourself now!" Rinkah shouted angrily. Corrin just roared at her though and kept approaching. She opened her mouth and Kamui felt his world slow down again. Rinkah's eyes were wide in fear and Sakura was using her body to cover the downed Hinoka who screamed at the two to get out of the way.

"Not again!" Kamui let out a violent roar as he rose from the ground and charged. His sister turned to him and let out a defiant roar but when she tried to stop him he just bowled her over. He shoved her onto the ground and whipped her with his tail when she tried to rise, sending her back onto the ground. He smacked her legs away when she tried to claw him again and stamped his legs onto her chest, making her cry out in pain. Then he forced her onto her belly and pinned her down by using his larger mass to hold her down.

"Wake up Corrin!" Kamui thought angrily as he started beating his leg into his sister's head. If he couldn't make her come to her senses then he'd have to knock her out.

 _"You are the ocean's grey waves…"_ Kamui and Corrin both paused what they were doing and Kamui looked up to see Azura approaching them. She was singing again but this time there was a aura of what Kamui thought was water flowing around her feet and...her pendent was glowing. Kamui felt Corrin shift beneath him and he quickly readjusted his hold on her. His sister growled but it was in a more reserved manner as opposed to the crazed ones she was letting out earlier.

"What is she doing?" Kamui thought as Azura continued to approach. Whatever she was doing seemed to make Corrin act more docile so Kamui wasn't exactly complaining. Though he didn't know Azura's songs could calm beasts, it was like something out of a story almost. He'd heard her songs before though, many of them but he had never heard that song before and yet…it sounded familiar to him at the same time.

 _"Destined to seek life beyond the shore…Just out of reach…" Azura continued until she stood right in front of the dragon twins._

"Come back, Corrin…please…let go…" Azura pleaded. Corrin seemed to understand since she ceased her sounds. Azura looked up at Kamui and nodded. The dragon prince slowly removed his limbs off of his twin but the moment he did, she lashed out and struck Azura.

"Ah!" Azura fell to the ground and Kamui roared as he pinned his sister down again and smashed his leg down into her head to keep her down. Azura groaned as she picked herself up into a sitting position as she nursed her bleeding shoulder. Her energy and her pendent still glowed though as she tried to reach out towards Corrin. She snapped at her hand until Kamui smashed his leg down again.

"Stay back!" Kamui gave Azura a growl in an attempt to make her stay back but she continued on.

"I know you're in there…just let go, Corrin. Please…be yourself again, don't let the power control you…" Azura pleaded. This time her words seemed to reach Corrin since she went still until Azura's hand touched her head. Then she flinched and purple energy started to radiate from her again. Kamui moved off of her quickly, he wondered how he was supposed to change back though. He watched his sister slowly get enveloped in her energy again and he sighed inwardly. He thought about turning human again and then he suddenly felt his body start shifting again and his gold energy from before engulfed him.

"Really?! It was that easy?!" Kamui screamed in his head as he changed back. Except before his transformation completed, he found his consciousness darkening until the world around him changed and he felt…different.

 _"Run!" Kamui blinked as he saw a man raise a katana only to get pelted by a volley of arrows. It only took Kamui a moment to realize that it was the man from the picture…his father._

 _"Argh!" Kamui's father fell to a knee, barely holding himself up. Kamui wanted to run to him or shout his name but he found that he wasn't in control of his body. He couldn't even move his eyes._

 _"Father!" Kamui turned to see a kid version of Corrin, wearing a black kimono run forward only for Kamui to reach out and grab her hand._

 _"No! Father told us to run!" Kamui shouted. Then Corrin shook her head and tried to wrench herself free._

 _"But Father is hurt! Kamui you have to help him! You can heal right?!" Corrin urged. She reached back with her other hand and tugged on his white yukata but before anything could happen, they started hearing someone laughing. Kamui would have shivered if he was in control since he recognized that laugh anywhere._

 _"I am disappointed, Sumeragi. I barely had to try and you are already on your knees," Kamui turned back towards his father to see the King of Nohr himself. King Garon was standing before the wounded samurai with his hectic looking axe, Kamui remembered that it was named Bolverk._

 _"K-Kamui! Take your sister and run! Find Kaze! Find any of our shinobi and run!" Sumeragi shouted. Kamui's body remained frozen to the spot though since as soon as his father finished his command, King Garon swung his axe, severing the head of the samurai._

 _"FATHER!" Corrin shrieked in despair as she started sobbing. Kamui remained frozen to the spot though and just stared at their father's severed head. The face wasn't facing them, thankfully but the imagery was enough to make Kamui's core shake. Even though Kamui was just watching through the eyes of his past self he could feel what his past self was feeling. It was just…cold._

 _"Well, what do we have here?" Kamui snapped out of whatever shock he was under when the King unceremoniously stepped over their father's corpse, not even paying it any attention. Kamui felt his blood boil as he watched that part of the memory._

 _"Corrin! Get up!" Kamui shouted at his sister, who was still crying. He pulled her onto her feet but before they could even move, Garon grabbed both of their heads._

 _"Ah! Let go, monster!" Corrin screamed. Kamui thrashed against the King's hand, glaring at the one who had murdered his father. The king just laughed at them cruelly, even back then the king was still the heartless monster Kamui knew._

 _"You will be my children now and you will never remember this day or any days before this!" Garon boasted. The next thing Kamui knew, he saw what he thought was dark magic exuding from his hands and then everything went black._

"Ah!" Kamui gasped for breath as he found himself lying on the ground. His senses were wracked with pain. His arms and legs felt like they'd been ripped open and his right side and neck burned. He coughed and tasted iron, his own blood. He moved his hand to his mouth to see two things. He was back in human form thankfully but his injuries had carried over to his human form unfortunately. His arm was bleeding badly; it was much worse than it was in his dragon form. His entire body felt like it was on fire and the pain was worse. He almost blacked out but he fought through it and tried to get up. He needed to check on Corrin, but he felt a couple pairs of hands press against his back, forcing him to stay down.

"Kamui! Don't move! Sakura, get over here now!" Hinoka shouted, pleadingly. Kamui groaned and moved his head to try and get a better look at his sister but that was the wrong move since his neck screamed in protest and he started coughing again. Gods! Why did it hurt so much! Was he really injured that much!

"Sakura! Hurry! It's getting worse!" this time it was Rinkah who shouted, sounding more concerned than Kamui had ever heard before. Kamui heard some soft patting and a grunt. He saw Sakura crouch down in front of him, or he saw her feet anyway. Then he felt the soothing feeling of healing magic wash over him. He felt the wound on his throat heal first. He sighed in relief when he felt his throat heal fully, now it didn't hurt to breath or move his head. Then Sakura started working on his arms next.

"It's ok, Kamui just lie still…" Azura soothed.

"Mm…" Kamui turned his head to see a rather tearful looking Hinoka, he felt regret fill his heart for worrying her but he didn't have time for that.

"Where's Corrin?"

* * *

 **Corrin's POV**

"Huh…what…" Corrin groaned as she squirmed around. Her eyes opened a bit only for her to shut them tight because of the blinding light. She brought a hand up to cover her eyes so she could open them more easily. Why was the light so blinding? She was no fan of the sun being in her face when she woke up but still.

"Are you all right, Corrin?" Ryoma asked. Corrin moved her hand away from her eyes to see Ryoma and Takumi leaning over her. They both looked a little roughened up bu-wait….

"Mother! Kamui!" Corrin shot up from her position as the images from the current day ran through her mind. Including…including the part where she turned into whatever she turned into. Kamui…she almost killed him, oh gods she almost killed Hinoka and Azura too!

"Calm yourself, Corrin…everyone is fine…" Ryoma eased but Corrin shrugged him off and stood up quickly to see all the destruction that she had caused. Corrin felt more guilt flow through her but it wasn't until she saw her brother that the tears started coming. Azura, Rinkah and Hinoka were holding her brother down while Sakura worked on him. Kaze was standing nearby as well, watching for danger.

"Kamui!" Corrin shot over towards her brother at a full sprint. Kaze ended up intercepting her before she could get too close though.

"Milady! Wait! They are tending to Lord Kamui's wounds as we speak…" Kaze urged as Corrin struggled against him. Corrin gave up after a few moments and clutched onto the ninja as she stared at her brother's form.

"Brother…" Corrin whimpered. Kamui was a mess, there wasn't exactly blood pooling around him but there was an unhealthy amount of it around him. She remembered that she was the one that put those wounds on him. Corrin bit back a curse as she remembered what happened.

"Why didn't you just stop me?" Corrin asked. She knew her twin should have been more than strong enough to stop her right away yet he didn't. Was he really that worried about her? Corrin saw Azura's gold eyes flicker up to her for a moment before she turned back to holding Corrin's twin down. The princess noted the injury on Azura's shoulder and her guilt intensified.

"Do not blame yourself for any of this damage. We know you were not in control," Kaze whispered but Corrin didn't feel any better. She heard her twin groan in annoyance before Sakura said she was almost done. Corrin watched her close the wounds on his arms before she healed the smaller wounds on his side and then she moved over to his legs.

"Can I move over now?" Kamui asked as he flexed his arms around, his eyes flickered to Corrin but he just gave her a smile before Hinoka and Azura helped him spin over and sit up. Corrin would have preferred it if he yelled at her for almost killing him or the others.

"I did all this?" Corrin asked as she looked at the destroyed statue and the buildings she remembered crashing into. She was just so angry…that's all she felt while she was in that form. Anger and despair, she just wanted it all to end. It wasn't until Azura started singing that she started regaining herself enough to turn back.

"It wasn't your fault sis…" Corrin's eyes snapped back to her twin. Kamui stood back up slowly with Hinoka and Azura's help and kicked the ground a few times to test his legs out before he gave an exhausted looking Sakura a hug.

"Thanks, I feel as good as new now," Kamui said and Sakura flushed a little but she smiled.

"How can you say that?" Corrin asked softly as she pulled herself away from Kaze. Kamui frowned at her and he approached her but she stepped back before he could reach her.

"I could have killed you, I could have killed everyone here…what would I do if I did?" Corrin asked as tears streamed down her cheeks again. She felt her twin grab her tightly and pull her into a hug and she just couldn't bring herself to break away from him.

"Hey…it's ok…I'm fine now and the others are too, there's no need to cry about that…Mother wouldn't want that…" Kamui whispered soothingly and that just made Corrin cry harder. He should be furious at her! Curse him! Why did he have to make everything so difficult?

"She's right, you should be mad at her. Look what she did!" Takumi exclaimed and Corrin flinched at his tone.

"Enough, Takumi," Ryoma ordered.

"No! Look at what's happened! Mother's dead, the town is in ruins and we were almost killed! You can't possibly say that you don't find this a little too far fetched to be circumstantial? It was her sword! She was the one that lost control!" Takumi pointed out, exasperated. Corrin closed her eyes and she felt her brother tighten his hold on her.

"Shut up, Takumi! That was uncalled for!" Hinoka shouted and then Corrin heard a rush of footsteps followed by a crack and a cry of pain.

"Enough! Mother would not want us to fight each other!" Ryoma intervened; the princess heard a small scuffling and two complaints followed by footsteps. Ryoma probably dragged them both off to talk to them. Then Corrin felt someone tap her shoulder and she turned her head from her twin to see Azura.

"Azura? I-" Azura placed a finger on her lips and smiled at her before she held something out to her. Corrin looked down to see a blue gem or stone in her hand. She tilted her head at Azura in confusion as Kamui released her.

"It's a dragonstone. This will allow you to transform again at will but you will retain your senses and not…have another episode…" Azura said softly. Corrin's eyes widened and she took the stone from her without a second thought before she wiped her tears away.

"Where did you get that?" Kamui asked, confused. Corrin was a little interested too actually now that her twin mentioned it.

"It was a gift from my mother, she said that it was a dragonstone that was used by the ancient dragons from the stories," Azura explained. Corrin wanted to believe her but for some reason it felt like Azura had more to say than just that.

"How would I even transform again?" Corrin asked. She didn't particularly fancy the idea of transforming into a…dragon again considering she almost killed her twin but it would be better to know.

"I am sorry but I am not exactly experienced in the act…" Azura said guiltily as she shook her head. Oh, right that made sense, Corrin felt dumb for asking her that.

"When we transformed the first time it was all raw emotion. When I wanted to turn back I kind of just thought about it and focused on it and then it happened," Kamui said. Corrin looked at her twin who just shrugged. That was it? She was broken out of her thoughts when she saw Ryoma coming back with Hinoka and Takumi in toe. They both looked a little ruffled like they'd been scolded for stealing cookies. Corrin would have laughed if she didn't feel depressed. Before Ryoma could say anything though, Kaze interrupted.

"Milords, Maladies look!" Corrin's eyes snapped towards Kaze to see him pointing towards something and her eyes turned towards what remained of the Dawn Dragon statue and there in the middle of the rubble her eyes zeroed in on a…sword?

"A…sword?" Corrin asked. It definitely wasn't a normal sword, Corrin could tell that much. It was a longsword type and it was also gold. The hilt was wrapped in black fabric and the pommel was a little extravagant; it was shaped a little like a trident. The guard was curved parallel to the blade on both sides. The blade itself was gold and razor sharp but there were four black spheres that started where the blade met the hilt. Corrin felt a little drawn to the sword to be honest like she'd seen it before.

"Wait…that's…that's the Yato?" Ryoma asked, surprised.

"Yato?" Kamui asked, voicing Corrin's question as well.

"It is a holy weapon, forged by the Ancient Dragons. It's like my Raijinto and Takumi's Fujin Yumi if the stories are true. Though the legends also say that the blade has been missing ever since the heroes of old won the war against the evil dragons," Ryoma explained. Corrin nodded in understanding as she turned back to the sword.

"It's also said that the blade is the key to peace and that it's wielder will be the one to bring peace to the world," Azura continued off of Ryoma's explanation.

"Key to peace…" Corrin mused in her head. She looked down at her hands and clenched them into fists. She certainly wanted peace, anything to end the senseless violence. Her eyes shifted to her mother's corpse and she felt the need to bring peace intensify. She looked towards the sword again and then she started walking towards it.

"Corrin what are you doing?" she heard her twin ask but she didn't turn to answer him.

"What's she doing?"

"She can't be-no! Stop her!"

"Enough! Let her try!"

"The power to bring peace…" Corrin walked up to the sword as if it was calling to her. She reached out slowly and grasped the blade by the hilt with both her hands. She took a breath and started pulling. The blade gave way but it did not simply come out in an instant. Still though slowly but surely she pulled the blade from the stone and the moment she did, a draft of wind released the moment the blade left the stone fully.

"Impossible!" Corrin held the blade up and it flashed once as if it was saying hello to her.

"The blade has chosen Corrin as its wielder…" Corrin heard Ryoma say in awe. Corrin swung the sword around a few times and was surprised to find that it felt even better in her hand than the Ganglari did. She turned around only to be met by a glaring Takumi.

"Whoa!" Corrin almost jumped in shock.

"Someone like you doesn't deserve to hold that blade!" Takumi shouted. Corrin winced at the sheer anger in his voice; he had never raised a hand against her ever since she first arrived at Hoshido. After that he'd been dismissive at worst and she'd even gotten a few smiles and laughs out of him. This time it sounded like he hated her. She…couldn't blame him though.

"Enough, Takumi!" Ryoma shouted as he stormed over. Kamui was faster though; he grabbed Takumi by his tunic and wrenched him back until he was facing him. Takumi recoiled a little and Corrin couldn't blame him, her twin was fully glaring at him. Corrin noticed Ryoma and the others pause instead of coming up to interfere.

"I have had just about enough of your attitude! We already settled things! She wasn't in control and she didn't know her sword was still possessed! Get off of your high horse!" Kamui demanded as he lifted Takumi off of his feet so his face was level with his. As much as Corrin appreciated Kamui for standing up for her, it didn't make her feel better. She was about to tell Kamui to set Takumi down but before she could, Takumi spoke up.

"How can you defend her? She almost killed you! She's a murderer! She killed our mother and she's a monster! Look what she did to the town! She almost almost killed all of us! She's a monster you hear me?! A monster!" Takumi practically screamed. Corrin's eyes widened in shock and she gasped in shock. Her twin's eyes widened as well before they narrowed into a glare.

"You bastard!" Kamui pulled one of his hands back and punched Takumi in the gut, making the archer recoil.

"Take it back!" Kamui growled as he shook the archer in the air before he hit him again.

"Take it back right now!" Kamui roared as he punched Takumi's left cheek, making his head snap to the side. No…Corrin didn't want that to happen even if the words stung… Corrin noticed Sakura step forward to stop what was happening but Hinoka and Azura stopped her in her tracks, both with glares on their faces. Ryoma was passive as always but he looked disappointed. Kaze had turned his head to the side as if he was pretending not to watch and Rinkah just stared angrily at the scene. Were…were they fine with this?

"I. SAID. TAKE. IT. BACK!" Kamui smashed his fist into Takumi's face to punctuate every word but the archer prince just glared at him, despite the bruises on his face.

"Why are you complaining…I have accepted you as a brother now…" Takumi said darkly and Kamui's eyes widened in shock before he growled and raised his hand to strike him again but this time, Corrin interfered.

"STOP!" Corrin screamed as she grabbed hold of her twin's arm before he hit Takumi. Kamui turned to her in surprise and Takumi did as well.

"Corrin?" Kamui asked. Corrin shook her head and tugged on his arm again, forcing it down.

"Stop…please…there's been enough fighting today…" Corrin pleaded.

"Did you even hear what he said?!" Kamui asked aghast.

"It doesn't matter! He's just angry, sad and confused like some of us are! Do you think out mother would want us to fight each other like this!? Do you?!" Corrin asked as she turned the question on all of them, she turned towards the rest of her family to see them all look away guiltily. Kamui froze and his eyes dropped and he sighed.

"You're too soft Corrin…" Kamui dropped Takumi unceremoniously. The archer fell onto his rear but he didn't bother getting up and his head stayed tilted down so his face was out of sight.

"Maybe it's better that way…" Corrin muttered, feeling annoyed at her twin's dismissal. This time Kamui wasn't going to let things lie though apparently.

"Not if it gets you killed or makes you look weak," Kamui replied and Corrin flinched before she stared at Kamui's unwavering gaze. Instead of shying away though, she tightened the grip on Yato and glared at him. She didn't know what came over her but she refused to just sit back and listen to her brother like that. She was so tired of fighting at that point and she was so angry about what happened that she couldn't help herself.

"Better to be a weakling that doesn't like to hurt people than a heartless monster who can only use violence to make a point…" Corrin gasped at what she said and covered her mouth. Where did that come from? She just felt so angry that those words just came out before she realized what she was saying.

Kaze still remained to the side but she did notice his eyes flicker towards her a few times. Rinkah looked disturbed and her eyes moved between Kamui and Corrin quickly. Corrin's sister's all had varying looks of shock though Sakura was the one who looked like she was about to break down while Hinoka was just surprised. Even Azura had widened eyes as she stared at her and…a bit of anger too. Ryoma was the only one who looked undisturbed but he was staring at her. Takumi was still not out of whatever hole he was in since he still stayed down with his head towards the ground. It was her twin that made Corrin break though. Kamui's eyes were wide in shock and hurt…Corrin ripped her gaze away from his before she said anything else.

"I'm sorry!" Corrin sniffed as she turned away and ran.

"Corrin wait!" Corrin ignored her twins plead and just pulled out the stone Azura gave her. She focused on the stone and thought about transforming like her brother said. Surprisingly it responded to her and she transformed into a dragon once more and thankfully she retained her mind.

"Corrin! I'm sorry! Come back!" Corrin's heart cracked at her twin's words as she kept running. She needed to get away from them she needed to think. She extended her wings and flapped them in an attempt to fly off. She hopped off the ground and she stayed afloat for a little but then she almost crashed back into the ground. Corrin didn't stop though and kept trying to fly away, staying afloat in the air longer and longer until finally…

"Corrin!" Corrin spared a glance back at her twin and the rest of her family who were chasing after her in a vain attempt to catch her even though she was already flying.

"I'm sorry, Kamui…everyone…" Corrin thought as she turned back towards her front and continued to fly away.

"I will make this right, I will find a way to bring peace…"

* * *

 **Here you guys go! I'm sure you all know what's coming next. It will take a bit to get up again though. Other than classes bogging me down, I am going to be releasing the next three chapters together since they won't be as long and the impact will be better if you have all of them together. Anyway have a great day or night depending on what time it is when you read this!**


	12. Split Destiny

I don't own Fire Emblem

 **Hello everyone! I've been waiting to write this part ever since I started this story. By the way I was super depressed when I was typing this out. I was writing this while I listened to the sad music from Kingdom Hearts 2 when Roxas "died" and the music that played when Xion died in 358 days. I think it really helped me write this out, you guys all know why I was listening to sad music for this part. Now we finally get to the real beginning of the story!**

 **Also to be honest I wasn't trying to make you guys hate Takumi exactly. I was doing that to make the effect feel more real.**

Chapter 11: Split Destiny

* * *

 **Corrin's POV**

Corrin didn't know how long she flew for; it could have only been a few hours or maybe it had been a day. She was far too busy thinking about the meeting at Hoshido that had gone terribly wrong. Her mother was dead; all those people in the square were dead. Corrin shuddered at the memory of all the death and destruction, especially the havoc she wrought while she was in her dragon form. She remembered all of it and she regretted every moment of it. Her brother had been severely injured, she almost killed him and she tried to kill the others too.

"Kamui…" Corrin thought sadly as she finally noticed her wings start to grow a little soar. She noticed the sun was approaching twilight and she had no desire to fly during the night, especially if she was tired. She looked down and saw a river separating two sides. On one side of the bridge it was an open grassy field while the other side had a forest. There was a simple wooden bridge connecting the two sides together.

"I guess it's as good a place as any…" Corrin sighed as she flew down and landed on the bridge. The landing was a little clumsy like her takeoff but she didn't fall on her face at least. She concentrated and changed back to her normal form and she let out a sigh and a groan. Her body felt really exhausted now that she wasn't in her dragon form. She went to the edge of bridge and sat down and stuck her feet into the water.

"That feels nice…" Corrin sighed in relief as she reached down with her hands and scooped up water to her mouth. The water was clean thankfully, the last thing she needed was to get sick. It wouldn't do if the bearer of the key to peace got sick within a day or so of getting it. Speaking of the key to peace, she pulled the Yato from her belt and held it out in her hands.

"What am I supposed to even do with this?" Corrin thought as she placed the sword down next to her and sighed.

"Maybe I should have thought about this a little more before I ran off…" Corrin chuckled as she stared at her reflection in the water.

"No…I had to leave…it was for the best…" Corrin thought as she remembered the mean things she said to her brother. There was no doubt in her mind that he would forgive her but she couldn't forgive herself. She still didn't understand why she snapped at him like that. Sure he was getting a little too violent but she knew he wasn't going to do anything major to Takumi. Then again he was angrier than ever in that moment, aside from the anger he held towards their mother's murderer. Corrin still felt angry with that man as well. They still didn't know where he came from, though there was one lead.

"What am I supposed to do?" Corrin sighed as she fell back so she was laying down on her back while she splashed her feet in the water below.

"I want to bring peace…but I don't know how…" Corrin sighed as she brought her hand up to stare at it. There was a plan to bring peace but that plan probably died along with her mother. Corrin should have felt angry at Nohr but…she couldn't. She didn't like Garon but she…well she just had a feeling that the majority of Nohr was not involved in her mother's murder. Yes the man that killed her mother used Ganglari but she didn't see anything that tied him to Nohr at all. Garon had to go but they couldn't just cut their way to him, the entire kingdom wasn't at fault. It was the only way there would be peace. She didn't want to see her Hoshidian family and her Nohrian family tear each other apart. There had to be a way for them to remove Garon without resorting to cutting their way to him.

"Well first, it would probably be a good idea to not run away from your family…" an amused voice said. Corrin shot up immediately to see none other than her twin. He looked annoyed but relieved as well.

"Ka-ow!" Corrin clutched her head in pain as she massaged the spot her brother hit. Then she felt him pull her to her feet and crush her in a hug.

"You idiot! I was so worried about you!" Kamui chastised as he squeezed Corrin so tight she thought he might have been trying to break her back. She didn't mind though, she returned the hug warmly, just happy that her one lifetime companion was still around.

"How did you find me?" Corrin asked as she pulled back a bit to look at him. Kamui frowned and flicked her head again, making her yelp.

"I can turn into a dragon too. I followed you here. Took a bit to get used to flying but I managed it, I was actually worried that you were going to fly yourself until you collapsed. I just hope Ryoma and the others managed to keep up, I had to figure out how to keep you in sight but still stay in sight of the others so they could follow," Kamui explained and Corrin paled a little. She played with the idea of fleeing again but Kamui grabbed her arm as if he sensed her thoughts.

"Don't run again. None of them blame you for anything, even Takumi doesn't. You were right! He was just angry and sad he even admitted it. He is sorry about what he said, I heard him say it myself, he's sorry for everything. Please…you need to come back," Kamui said pleadingly.

"But what about-" Kamui flicked her head again with a glare this time.

"Neither of us had any idea what was going to happen that day. Hell I didn't even know my necklace was a dragonstone until Azura told me AFTER I turned into a dragon. I still don't even know why or how we're dragons. That doesn't matter right now though! What matters is that you-we have a family waiting for us back in Hoshido. A family that is very worried about you right now. Our mother just died Corrin, I can't lose you too, and our family can't lose you too. If you're worried about the people, it's fine! Ryoma and the others will stand by you the whole way! They won't let anyone touch us," Kamui pleaded as he squeezed her arms tight. Corrin found herself touched by his words, anyone who said her brother was insensitive was an idiot. He had a heart just as big as Corrin's he just showed it differently. He had a point as usual; Corrin did want to see Ryoma and the others. Except…there was a problem.

"What about Nohr? What about Xander, Camilla, Leo and Elise?" Corrin asked and Kamui flinched. His grip on her arms slackened enough for Corrin to pull back. She stared at her twin as he slowly processed what she said and he shook his head.

"I…we have to go back to Hoshido and figure this out with Ryoma and the others. Xander is reasonable, I am sure he'll listen to what we have to say. Remember he thinks we're dead; he will listen to reason he has to. We can't go back to Garon he killed our father. We saw him do it!" Kamui explained.

"We?" Corrin asked. Kamui stared at her in shock before recognition took its place.

"That's right…you still can't remember anything. Corrin, I saw it. I saw the moment our father was murdered, we were there watching with our own eyes. Garon did it himself and then he cast some kind of spell on us. He tried to turn us on our own family and then he tried to get rid of us so he would have cause to kill them!" Kamui explained quickly and Corrin processed the knowledge. That…she knew he wasn't lying to her, he wouldn't lie about something like that and it wasn't far fetched at all. Sure she knew that Garon killed their father but she didn't know there was actually some kind of spell binding their memories.

"How come you're remembering things and I'm not?" Corrin asked. Kamui shook his head and pulled her again, this time forcing her to move.

"That doesn't matter! What matters is we have to go back and figure out what to do about all this! We can't do that in Nohr! Please, trust me if you can't trust the others. We have to try, there's no guarantee the Nohrians won't attack us on sight!" Kamui pleaded. Corrin almost allowed herself to get pulled along until she heard a rather familiar roar. She froze and Kamui did as well before his eyes went skyward.

"Marzia?" Corrin thought as she turned towards the direction of the roar, towards the forest side of the field. Sure enough she saw the black wyvern that belonged to her big sister but more importantly, her big sister was also riding on the wyvern!

"Corrin! Kamui!" Camilla cried as she snapped the reins of her wyvern to make her mount fly faster. Corrin could see the smile on her big sister's face.

"Camilla!" Corrin shouted happily. This could only mean that the others were nearby! She looked towards the forest expecting the rest of her siblings to pop out of the forest. Sure enough she saw Xander, Leo and Elise ride out of the forest. The three immediately locked onto them in shock. Corrin broke into a run without even thinking and her family quickly rode to meet her. Camilla landed in front of her and dismounted by jumping off her wyvern.

"Corrin!" Camilla exclaimed.

"Big Sister!" Corrin practically threw herself into an open armed Camilla who caught her easily and twirled her around as if she was a little girl again.

"My darling! You're ok! Did those filthy Hoshidans touch you! Just tell me who touched you or made you cry and I'll rip them apart and Mazria will eat them!" Camilla gushed as she squished her against her chest. Corrin didn't even feel suffocated, she was just so happy to see her big sister again. To see all of them!

"I'm fine Camilla! Don't worry, I'm just so happy to see you!" Corrin exclaimed as she squeezed her big sister back.

"What about me!?" Corrin turned her head to see Elise standing there expectantly. Camilla giggled and released Corrin just in time to catch her bright little sister.

"I missed you too!" Corrin gushed as she swung her little sister around like Camilla did to her. She pulled Elise into a hug and rubbed her head into her soft blonde locks affectionately while Elise wrapped her arms around her neck.

"Yay! I have my big sister and brother back! But someone else has something to say!" Elise cheered as she hopped down from the hug. Corrin turned only to be engulfed in a hug by Leo.

"Corrin! I…I never thought I would ever see you again!" Leo cried as he hugged her tightly. Corrin was a little shocked by his affection and she even felt her cheeks warm up, Leo was even shaking slightly. He really did care… She wrapped her arms around Leo and returned the hug, stroking his hair gently.

"Hey, it's ok…I'm back and I'm perfectly fine…don't worry," Corrin soothed. Leo still held onto her like she was about to disappear and Corrin felt her cheeks heat up even more as he buried his head into her chest. It was almost too much for her embarrassment, she played with the idea of kissing his cheek but that probably would have been too much for her little brother. She felt someone touch her shoulder and she instantly knew it was Xander. She turned towards her big brother with a smile to see his rare bright smile of joy.

"We all believed the worst…I am glad our fears were unfounded," Xander said warmly. Corrin would have hugged him too but Leo still hadn't let go of her, he clutched onto her so tightly she wondered what really happened to him in her absence. Oh boy, Kamui was going to throw a fit if-

"Big Brother! Come on!" Corrin turned to see Elise hopping and beckoning towards Kamui, who was still standing on the bridge. He just stared at them all with wide eyes, frozen.

"Kamui! It's really us! We're here my darling!" Camilla beckoned.

"Come, Little Prince. We are really here, do not worry. Your sister is proving that we're here," Xander said in a rare joke and a laugh to top it off. It only took Corrin a moment to understand her twin's stance though. She felt Leo remove himself from her but he kept an arm around her.

"Come Kamui, I know Corrin must have been a handful to take care of by yourself for so long but you can calm down now! We're here, everything is all right now! You really do make your own luck don't you?" Leo laughed as he wiped his eyes. Corrin would have cooed but the same fear her twin was feeling, entered her being.

"Silly, I'll show you we're here!" Elise giggled as she took a step towards him but Kamui backed away, making everyone tense.

"No…this…this will mess everything up…" Kamui muttered and shook his head.

"Kamui? What's wrong? Are you sick? Did those Hoshidan bastards do something to you!?" Camilla exclaimed aghast but Kamui shook his head.

"No…"

"Then what's wrong? It's us, Little Prince. You're safe now, you don't have to worry about the Hoshidans anymore"

"Big Brother?"

"Brother what's wrong? Was Corrin really that much of a problem?"

"Kamui please come here! Let me check you! I'll make sure you're feeling better as soon as the tents are set up I'll take you in and start giving you a once over to make sure you're one hundred percent healthy!"

"Stay away from my brother!" Corrin flinched and looked towards the air in horror to see Hinoka flying in on her Pegasus. That would only mean one thing…

"Onii-Chan!" Kamui turned to look behind him and sure enough, Sakura, Takumi and Ryoma ran up onto the bridge. Sakura hugged Kamui, who returned the hug warmly. He gave the little girl a smile before they broke the hug but Sakura clung to his hand. Then Ryoma and Takumi moved in front of them protectively. Hinoka landed her Pegasus down next to them and raised her naginata up in a battle stance. No Azura…still though this wasn't good…not good at all.

"He's my Big Brother! Hands off!" Elise practically shrieked in outrage. Corrin flinched at the sheer anger and rage in her voice. Who thought she had it in her?

"Unhand my brother right now!" Xander demanded as he moved in front of Corrin and drew Siegfried in a simple flourish. Before Corrin could reach out to stop him though, Leo pulled her back and stood in front of her protectively. Normally that would have been fine but this was not normal!

"He's not your brother, he's our brother! That bastard you call a father stole him from us…by the way, give our sister back too!" Takumi spat as he readied an energy bolt on his bow.

"Your sister? Your brother? I'm sorry I think you're mistaken, fools!" Leo growled as his hands started cracking with dark magic.

"Yes, unhand my precious little brother before I decide to splatter the fields with your blood…I would prefer not to, you're all already filthy enough…" Camilla threatened as she hefted her axe on her shoulder. Marzia even let out a roar to emphasize.

"Filthy?! You're the ones that are filthy, Nohrian Witch! Stay away from MY Little Brother and Sister!" Hinoka exclaimed as she raised her naginata. Camilla glared at the Pegasus rider, making Corrin shudder slightly.

"Did you say your Little Brother and Sister? I'm sorry you Hoshidian whore but they're MINE…your claim to them is as big as your chest; oh I'm sorry what chest? Forgive me are you a man? If so I apologize and if not…well…" Camilla chuckled cruelly and Hinoka's face turned red in anger. Corrin winced at that, even though they thought they were enemies that was a little harsh…

"You Nohrian scum will not break our family apart again! Hand over our sister and we will allow you to walk away!" Ryoma shouted as Raijinto was drawn from its sheath.

"Give me my brother back!" Elise screamed and Sakura flinched and hid behind Kamui a little.

"B-But he's my brother…" Sakura said meekly. Elise looked like she was ready to blow, Corrin hadn't seen her this worked up since she was ten when Leo stole her favorite doll and Kamui had to get it back for her. Corrin's eyes locked with Kamui's and an understanding went between them. Corrin grabbed Leo and moved him aside and did the same to Xander while Kamui detached Sakura from his arm and phased in front of Takumi and Ryoma.

"Enough!" the twins shouted, stunning all of them. Corrin met her twin in between the two groups and they clasped their hands together.

"Stop! Please! Hoshido and Nohr don't have to fight!" Corrin shouted.

"We can settle this without more blood being spilled!" Kamui continued. Both families were a little stunned by this proclamation though only the Hoshidians calmed down a little.

"Peace? With those fools? You must be jesting…" Xander chided and for the first time Corrin wanted to smack her older brother over the head.

"You're the ones invading, Xander!" Kamui pointed out and Xander stared at Kamui, surprised.

"Ergh…F-My father has ordered the Nohrian army to march forth to take the fight to Hoshido for the atrocities committed at the Canyon…" Xander replied.

"What atrocities? Garon sent our party there to walk straight into a Hoshido ambush, hoping we'd be slaughtered! He was going to use us a martyrs for the war. Don't tell me he didn't use our deaths as proof," Kamui threw back and Xander flinched and his eyes went downcast.

"Even so…we cannot defy our orders…even if the proof is false. Besides…Gunter is gone as are Jakob and Felica. I even have reports that Lilith and Flora have gone missing as well," Xander replied and Corrin felt Kamui's hand tighten around hers in anger.

"So the Crown Prince admits that he doesn't care if the reason is just or not?" Ryoma jabbed and Xander glared and raised his blade as if to strike.

"Spoken like a true fool…" Xander grit out.

"Ryoma!" Corrin chided as she turned to glare at her other big brother. Ryoma shrugged uncaringly and Corrin nearly threw her hands into the air in frustration. What was it with Hoshidians and holding their honor so tightly?!

"Xander, please…just, this once make the decision yourself…just this once. You know this war isn't right…" Kamui pleaded, Corrin squeezed her twins hand tightly. The rest of their Nohrian siblings looked towards Xander, waiting for his answer but Corrin knew in her heart what he was going to say even before he said it.

"I…am sorry, but I can not and will not go back on my King's orders whether I think they might be wrong or not," Xander answered coldly. Corrin heard her brother's breath hitch and she almost felt his hand go cold. The rest of their Nohrian siblings readied themselves for battle at that point.

"It seems they've made their choice. I am sorry, Little Brother and Sister. It seems the Nohrians intend to go through with their invasion. No one will fault us for not trying…" Ryoma said as he raised his sword and Corrin saw the rest of her Hoshido family ready themselves for battle.

* * *

 **Both Twins POV**

"Come! Quickly!" Ryoma shouted as he held his hand out towards them. Hinoka, Sakura and Takumi readied themselves but they were staring at the twins expectantly and pleadingly.

"Onii-Chan, Onee-Chan…" Sakura pleaded.

"They're my brother and sister!" Elise retorted and the twins looked back to their Nohrian family to watch them reach out to them.

"We're your family, yes we may have joined us through unjust means but I swear we had no part in that. Whatever games my father played were his and his alone! We've raised you since you were little, we always thought of you as our own!" Xander pleaded as he beckoned them over.

"We…we have to choose?" both twins asked themselves. Their clasped hands tightened around each other. Thoughts of shrouded beauty, and pleasant memories flowed through. Then thoughts of the white light and a time stolen ran through. Then a death passed through their minds. Yes…the twins had to choose and they knew what they had to do.

"Very well…" the twins said as one then they both moved…but…their hands slipped out of one another's hands and they both turned around in shock.

"Kamui?"

"Corrin?"

"What are you doing?" they asked at the same time and they both flinched. Kamui saw pain, shock and betrayal in the eyes of his Nohrian family while Corrin saw the same in the eyes of her Hoshidian family. Except that was nothing compared to the shock the twins saw mirrored in each other's eyes.

"We have to go back to Hoshido! They're our true family! We were stolen from them! It's a fact! Do you really think Garon will be happy to see us?" Kamui asked, doing his best to ignore Xander and the others. It pained him to turn his back on them after everything they did for him but in the end…their love for him wasn't enough for them to move past their duty, no it wasn't even duty that kept them back it was fear. Kamui could see it now, after experiencing freedom it made sense, he had been in the same boat as well. He wouldn't have that anymore though, not after seeing what the Hoshidians were willing to do for him, not after he watched his mother die right in front of him.

"What about Nohr? They raised us! We can't just throw them to the wolves; you know that it's not their fault! They're our real family!" Corrin threw back. It pained her to say that especially when she saw the heartbroken looks on her Hoshidian siblings, especially Sakura. She wouldn't abandon Xander and the others though; it was Garon that was the problem not the whole kingdom! They had to think carefully, they couldn't just go up in arms. While it was true they were invading, the people were innocent; the King was the one pulling the strings.

"You're being a fool! Garon is a monster and he needs to die for what he's done! Not just for what he's done for us but for everything he's done to Hoshido AND Nohr!" Kamui shouted, his heart felt like it was breaking but he stayed strong and said the words. He saw tears fall down Elise's face as she shook her head in denial, Kamui felt like the vilest person in the world for causing that. Leo was still staring at him in disbelief, for all their fights when they were younger the dark knight did look up to Kamui, the prince felt like he was letting him down in that moment. Camilla looked like she was about to cry, something Kamui hadn't seen since she was younger, he never would have thought that he would be the one to make her break that roll. Xander just looked disappointed, no surprise there, the paladin never could show how he really felt. These were the people that had raised him, could he really do it? Yes…for justice and a promise, he would fight.

"Perhaps…but we cannot just raze an entire kingdom to the ground in order to get to him and I will not kill our family in order to do it. We have to deal with this tactfully, brother! Did you forget your logic in the past few minutes? Our family is in Nohr, the people that raised us. We can not condemn them," Corrin pointed out, not believing her own twin was really going to follow the warpath. She did what she could to ignore the looks on Ryoma and the others but she couldn't. Her big brother looked betrayed and in disbelief. Hinoka was staring at her like what she said was a illusion from a bad dream, after spending her entire life trying to get them back only for one to walk back, must have been heartbreaking. Takumi was straight up glaring at her but Corrin didn't think that anger was directed towards her exactly. Sakura had her hands cupped over her mouth and tears were falling down her cheeks as she stared at her. Corrin knew she was looking like an ingrate but she couldn't side with them. She would do anything to keep innocents from being harmed, something the Hoshidians would surely do on their path for revenge.

"Ryoma please! We don't have to fight! We can have peace!" Corrin pleaded as she looked towards Ryoma this time since her twin was too caught up in his own delusions.

"…You speak with Hoshidian values yet you choose the ones who seek to destroy us?" Ryoma asked in disbelief as he shook his head.

"Ryoma please! I'm trying to prevent a war from breaking out!" Corrin pleaded.

"King Garon murdered our father, the meeting was supposed to be a peace talk and he broke his word! He broke it because he knew he couldn't defeat our father honorably. He also orchestrated our mother's death, your mother. He wants this war and you know it. Hoshido will only stand down if Nohr leaves our borders. If one blade is raised at us, it will be war…and we will avenge our fallen…" Ryoma condemned. Corrin couldn't blame him for that but with the way he was talking, he was going to cut down anyone who got in the way!

"This can't be happening, please tell me this is your idea of a sick joke!? Right Big Brother?" Corrin reacted quickly and grabbed Elise's hand before she could get too far in front of her. Xander and the others moved up and stood shoulder to shoulder with her as well. Kamui turned his gaze away from Elise, guiltily.

"Elise…" he muttered, sorrowfully. The look of despair and sadness on her face was almost too much for him. He had sworn that he would always be there for her, was he breaking his promise by doing this? Even though it was the right choice?

"RIGHT?!" Elise practically screamed. The twins both winced at her demand, Corrin tightened her hold on Elise though to prevent her from running off. Kamui reached out towards her with his left hand though.

"You can come with me, Elise…" Kamui said softly. Elise flinched at what he said and Kamui smiled at her.

"You can come with me to Hoshido…the darkness of Nohr does not suit you, it never did. Come with me into the light, please…we can be together there…" Kamui said warmly. Then he turned his gaze to the others.

"You can all come with me to Hoshido…you don't have to follow Garon or Xander's lead. Make your own decisions for once; don't let fear force us to fight! Please!" Kamui took a few steps towards them with his hand held out to them. Corrin noted Ryoma and the others lower their weapons slightly though they remained tense.

"Brother…" Corrin shook her head sorrowfully at her brother's plea and before Kamui got too close, a sword was drawn and Kamui came to a shocked stop. Xander had drawn Siegfried and the blade was pointed directly at Kamui's throat. Ryoma and the others all tensed but Kamui held his hand up to stop them.

"Your words and your intent are pure but they are a fool's words, a dreamer's words. Enough of these foolish words, those Hohsidian's must have cast some kind of spell on you. We will fix this, now enough, come home," Xander said, his tone turning slightly pleading. A spell? That was all he could say? Corrin reached forward but Camilla grabbed her arm and shook her head at her.

"Garon has committed crimes against us. Do you not remember what he forced us to do, Xander? Camilla? The three of us were forced to compete in a sick game, can you really say that you believe his decisions are valid, let alone justifiable?" Kamui pleaded again. Corrin winced at that and her twin's ruby eyes stared at her for a moment before they returned to Xander. Surely he would see reason? He had to; Kamui knew that his brother wasn't stupid. He needed to get Xander to believe in him otherwise the rest wouldn't follow, he could see that much. Perhaps if he tried another angle?

"Corrin, have I ever led you astray? Please…you trust me, right? I understand your concerns but there will be blood being shed regardless of what happens here today. Please...sister…" Kamui pleaded as he turned towards his twin. At the very least he had to get her on his side, he couldn't accept the idea that he would have to raise his blade against her of all people.

"I…Kamui, do you just expect me to go along with you because you decided?" Corrin asked a little colder than she wanted to. Her brother's eyes widened and she frowned. So he did think that…

"No! I...Corrin! We can't turn our backs on our mother's sacrifice! We have to fight for Hoshido! We owe it to her to bring Garon to justice!" Kamui stammered his twin had to understand there was no reasoning with a monster like Garon!

"Whose justice? Yours? Our Mother wanted peace. The best way to have peace is to reason with the aggressors. We can't do that by demanding or slaughtering innocents just to get to one person. There are ways we can avert this, right Xander?" Corrin asked as placed her hand on her older brother's arm. She heard Elise and Leo take a deep breath.

"We…we can bring this up with Father and try to shine light on these accusations. We can make your case to the generals and the nobles; kings have been removed this way before in extreme situations. I can halt the invasion and give pause in order to call this meeting but it will be difficult to form the meeting if there's a war. You have to come with us as assurance though; Kamui and we will accomplish our mission to establish a forward camp. No lives will be taken if the Hoshidians back away, I will give the order for the invasion forces to stand down if you agree. They will listen to me long enough for us to send the call for the meeting," Xander explained and Corrin let out a cheer in her mind as she turned towards her twin.

"You're not taking him anywhere!" Hinoka beckoned her Pegasus forward but Ryoma held his hand in front of her. Takumi still had a bolt ready but it wasn't raised. Sakura was clutching her staff so tightly that it was shaking in her grasp.

"And if I agree to all but the part about me going with you?" Kamui asked stoically. Xander frowned and his eyes dropped for only a moment before they focused again.

"Then you will be taken back as a prisoner and if the Hoshidians try to stop us then the deal of halting the invasion is off," Xander replied strictly.

"Brother please…I do trust you but this time I am asking you to trust me…" Corrin pleaded and Kamui stared at her for a few moments. She couldn't tell what was going through his mind, his eyes turned cold and his face was stoic. Their Hoshidian siblings were tense and staring at Kamui, expectantly.

"So you have made your choice then?" Kamui asked.

"Yes, I th-no I know this is the right choice, brother. Please, we can fix this," Corrin assured as she placed her hand on his shoulder. Xander lowered his blade at this point and held his hand out to him.

"Does that go for all of you then?" Kamui asked as he looked towards Camilla and the others. He dared to hope even after they already made their allegiance known.

"Yes, please listen to our brother. He knows what he's doing. The people will listen to what you have to say, please. Come back to us…I…please…you can go back to Hoshido after everything is sorted if you really want," Camilla pleaded as she moved next to Xander.

"Please come back, it won't be the same without you. We can make things better together," Leo said as he came up next to Corrin.

"Big Brother, please come back…please…" Elise came up and grabbed Kamui's hands and held them so tightly with her smaller hands that it made Kamui's heart crack further.

"What assurance do we even have that your people will listen to them? And what will happen if they don't rule in our favor?" Ryoma asked and Corrin looked towards her other older brother to see him looking at them expectantly.

"How do we know your King won't just order Kamui and Corrin's executions? If your courts don't rule in your favor, will they be allowed to walk away?" Hinoka asked, critically. Corrin tensed a little at that and her twin's eyes narrowed at her.

"We won't lose anymore of our family!" Takumi affirmed as he raised his bow slightly.

"Onee-Chan, Onii-Chan. Please come back…" Corrin felt her heart almost tear in two at Sakura's words. Still they raised fine points, as well Corrin couldn't deny that.

"Corrin…please come back, we have to side with the people who are being unjustly attacked," Kamui said again.

"No, Kamui. There is only war in that decision, not peace. Xander's plan can avoid bloodshed altogether. There is a chance it could fail but your choice entails bloodshed for sure!" Corrin shook her brother in frustration.

"And what if it fails then? Will I be aloud to walk away or will I get a sword in the back?" Kamui asked and Corrin flinched at the sharpness in his tone. He…he didn't believe in her plan. Corrin felt her eyes start to water at the thought that her own twin didn't believe in her.

"So that's it then? You think you know everything? You think that since you believe something is right, I should just follow along?" Corrin asked harshly. Kamui felt his heart crack further at the anger in his twin's voice. Did she think he was really that arrogant?

"No…I don't know everything, I am simply doing what I think is right. You're doing the same…unfortunately it seems what we both think is right do not coexist peacefully. I ask one more time…is this what you believe is right?" Kamui asked softly. Corrin's eyes widened at the meaning behind those words and she felt her tears fall.

"Y-Yes…I do…I'm sorry…everyone I am so sorry," Corrin said tearfully. She looked towards the others to see them all slump in despair. Ryoma just sighed and tilted his head down; Corrin had never seen him so sad since their mother died. Hinoka covered her mouth with free hand and let out a small gasp to stop herself from sobbing probably. Corrin felt like just crushed her dreams, Hinoka had spent so long trying to get them back only for Corrin to walk away in the end. Takumi's hands tightened his grip on his bow and turned his head away from her and muttered something, probably calling her a traitor. Sakura practically started sobbing but to her credit she didn't collapse to the ground. Corrin felt like she was about to cry herself but she refused to let herself break down on the ground, she had to be strong in this moment. They just lost their mother and now Corrin was going to leave them too.

"I see…" Kamui sighed sorrowfully and he looked down at Elise who was still staring up at him expectantly. He leaned down and kissed her head before he pulled his hands out of her grasp and backed up a few feet. He knew what he had to do,

"I'm sorry, Xander…everyone. I can't go back to Nohr, not after learning the things I have and things I have seen. Please let me go…go forward with your plan, I hope it works…I hope we don't have to fight…" Kamui backed away from the people he held close to his heart. Xander's eyes widened as he backed away, Kamui didn't want to but it was time his older brother learned that he was grown and he wouldn't put up with certain things anymore.

He wanted to be free; he wanted to live the way he wanted. A memory of the time he spent in Crykensia and the dance he had with Camilla and that songstress, Cure. He never got to ask about Cure again because of the life he led. If he were free perhaps he would have seen her again… Kamui wanted to fall in love without fear; his heart stopped hurting for a moment when he thought of a certain blue haired girl and a brash Oni. He wanted a family that wouldn't turn a blind eye to him if he was suffering at the hands of a monster. Yes that was what he was going to have.

Camilla reached out towards him longingly and Marzia let out a sad wail to mirror her master's sadness. Kamui felt like he was no better than all those bastards who stared at Camilla's body in that moment. Leo glared at him and Kamui didn't have the heart to return the glare, he could only smile. Elise's reaction was the one who broke his heart the most. Tears were streaming down her face like he'd never seen before; her purple eyes were staring at him pleadingly but he shook his head. This was the one thing he couldn't concede.

"No…you can't mean that…you can't!" Elise tried to reach out but Corrin grabbed her hand before she could run after Kamui. As heartbreaking as it was, Corrin understood that Kamui made his choice.

"I am so sorry, Elise…this is my choice. I will stand with the people who can…can…can put their families before du-no…the people who don't let fear get in between them and family," Kamui closed his eyes to shut out the image of his crying little sunshine. He remembered the times when he would read stories to her or hug her to make her stop crying, he would never be able to do it again. He remembered all the happy memories he shared with Elise, Xander, Camilla, Leo and…Corrin. Training with Xander…playing pranks on Leo with Corrin…cooking and reading with Camilla… He would hold those memories forever but now those times had ended…

"Please come back! I love you Kamui!" Corrin and Kamui both shook at that and Kamui's eyes hot open again as his breath hitched. Corrin saw Ryoma and the others freeze up while Kamui saw his Nohrian family freeze.

"I love you! I always have! Please! Don't leave me!" Elise wailed as she finally broke down fully. Kamui's hands tightened into fists as he failed to stop his eyes from growing wet. He managed to stop his tears from falling, barely. Damn it! Why did she have to say that! Didn't she know she was only going to make it harder on both of them! His heart was already being ripped apart; he was walking away from the people he called his family for years! He was saying goodbye to his twin, the one person he thought would always be by his side! Listening to Elise's confession made everything ten times worse.

"Elise…" Corrin wrapped her arms around her little sister as she pulled her into a hug. So…her feelings had already grown that far had they? Corrin always knew they would but at a time like this? Well, she supposed it only made sense. Elise clung to her as she sobbed her heart out. Corrin stroked her hair comfortingly as she held her tight. She watched her brother sadly, knowing this would be the last time she would see him like this. Leo cursed Kamui under his breath while Camilla let out a small choked gasp. Xander just stood there silently, not moving a muscle.

"I am so…so sorry…I can't…goodbye…go through with your plan without me…please let me go," Kamui answered shakily as he turned his back to them finally and started making his way towards his new life, leaving his old one behind, this was for the best it had to be. Ryoma gave him a nod as he made his way over. Hinoka was still sad but she smiled at him at least as he made his way over. Takumi still looked guilty but he gave him a nod. Sakura was still crying though even though she was trying to smile at him. There was no happiness in this moment, for anyone. Kamui reached towards Sakura to comfort her but before he got less than ten steps away from her, he heard a shift of armor behind him followed by footsteps.

"Then you've chosen the path of pain!"

* * *

 **Kamui's POV**

"What!?" Kamui turned to see Xander running at him with Siegfried pointed towards him, aggressively. The look of anger and betrayal on Xander's face shocked Kamui but not enough to stop him from dodging the attack. The moment he stepped out of the attacks way though, Xander pulled it back faster than Kamui had ever seen him do before. The blade came at him from the other side and Kamui phased out of range.

"What are you doing?!" Kamui shouted only to phase out of the way again when Xander tried to slash him again.

"I warned you I would take you by force if needed!" Kamui grit his teeth and phased away from his attack again before a lightning bolt struck down between them, forcing Xander to back away.

"Stay back you coward! Have you no honor!" Ryoma shouted as he came forward, Raijinto sparkling with lightning. A bolt of energy flew by Kamui only to be deflected by a dark magic blast from Leo.

"Nohrian cowards!" Kamui heard Hinoka take off into the air and Camilla quickly jumped onto Marzia and took to the skies as well.

"This is war! There is no honor, you are either the victor or the loser!" Leo shouted as he waved his hand again. Kamui looked down and saw a familiar glyph appear below him. He dove out of the way just in time to avoid a flurry of tree roots. Kamui turned his gaze towards Leo only to be forced to dodge again as he tried to hit him with another spell.

"Face me then, Coward!" Kamui watched Ryoma and Xander clash, creating a small shockwave as their two mighty weapons clashed with the full strength of their wielders behind them. They separated after a moment before they clashed again and again. Kamui had never seen Ryoma or Xander fight so ferociously.

"It wasn't supposed to end this way…" Kamui thought angrily as he hardened his heart for the fight. He noted Corrin and Elise backing away from the fight while everything else occurred. The prince glanced at Leo, preparing to dodge again but to his surprise Leo just pointed his hand the other way. Kamui followed his hand only to watch with wide eyes; Leo was aiming at Takumi! Takumi was shooting arrows into the sky, trying to hit Camilla but he wasn't paying attention to anything else.

"Damn it!" Kamui drew Tsume and Kiba quickly. He threw Kiba towards Takumi and teleported to his blade when it was right in front of him. Right on time too since Leo launched a blast of dark magic at them. Kamui let out a breath as he carved his blades through the magic, dispersing it before it could touch him or Takumi. The archer flinched and looked at him in shock.

"Pay attention, Takumi!" Kamui chided and Takumi winced before he nodded. Kamui glared at Leo but the dark knight just smirked and pointed up. Kamui looked up only to jolt in surprise when he saw a fireball coming right at him!

"Takumi! Down!" Kamui shoulder tackled Takumi out of the way and carved the fireball apart similarly to the dark magic earlier. He glanced up to see Camilla staring at him guiltily. Then she suddenly dived to avoid Hinoka's spear.

"Takumi! Keep giving support but stay alert!" Kamui commanded and after receiving a shaken nod from his brother he turned back towards Leo.

"Here goes!" Kamui threw Kiba at Leo but the dark mage quickly pointed his finger at the blade and a glyph activated under it perfectly, dragging it to the ground.

"Fine!" Kamui made a sprint towards the dark mage and summoned Kiba back to his other hand. He phased or dashed to the side whenever Leo tried to hit him with a spell, every time though he got closer and closer. When he was right in front of Leo, he slashed towards his hand but the Dark Mage drew the sword he kept at his side to block Kamui's strike. Kamui pressed through with both his blades, driving Leo onto his back foot.

"You can't beat me Leo…" Kamui used his superior strength to push Leo back, making him nearly fall and then Kamui kicked his chest, sending him onto his back with a thump. Leo grunted and glared at him from the ground.

Kamui moved in to disarm him but a strong gust of wind hit his side, sending him off his feet. He stuck Kiba in the ground and let go before he could stop. The prince flipped right side up and landed on his feet in a stable crouch and slid back a but before he finally stopped. His eyes locked on Corrin, her hand outstretched and she held the Yato in her other hand. Kamui sighed as he stood back up and gripped Tsume with both his hands.

"You could have walked away!" Kamui shouted as his twin approached. His anger masked his aching heart though since he really didn't want this to happen.

"You could have prevented this fight by coming along! You heard what Xander said!" tears fell down Corrin's face as she approached. Leo stood back up and took his place right next to her and Kamui grit his teeth as he got into his stance.

"I made a choice!" Kamui shouted as he charged his twin and little brother. Corrin fired another gust of wind towards him but Kamui held his ground and dug his feet into the ground as he stabbed his sword into the ground for leverage. He grit his teeth as his sister's magic hit him. Except while he was fighting to remain standing, Leo cast a dark spell towards him. Kamui cursed under his breath and brought his left hand up to block it. He focused on his dragonstone to try and make his arm transform at least. Unfortunately it only partially worked, he felt his skin scale over but not enough to fully block the spell. The dark magic burned through his glove and stung his hand. He bit back the pain and pulled his sword out of the ground and charged forward after the spells were done.

"So did I!" Corrin shouted as she threw a stronger wind spell at him. The prince wouldn't get caught again though. He threw Tsume to the side, out of his twin's range and teleported to it and threw it again towards Leo and Corrin. He appeared when his sword was right behind them.

"My turn!" Kamui slashed towards Corrin only for his sword to clash against hers. Leo lifted his own sword to strike him and Kamui phased back at the last moment, making Leo slash his sword down onto Corrin's instead. His twin jolted in surprise and Kamui slammed the butt of his sword into her face, making her recoil back. Then Kamui jumped over her and kicked her in the back, sending her sprawling onto the ground in a heap.

"Bastard!" Leo struck out at Kamui but Kamui easily parried the strike, knocking the dark knight off balance.

"Your swordsmanship is still sloppy…" Kamui swiped towards his left and Leo barely brought his sword up to block it. Then Kamui brought his sword down to the guard of Leo's blade and in a quick motion he forced the blade out of Leo's grip and sent it to the side.

"Shut up!" Leo grabbed Kamui's wrist before he could pull back. He tried to pull the sword out of his grip but Kamui moved faster and let go of his blade and slammed his palm into the dark knight's face.

"Ah!" Leo dropped Tsume and clutched his nose with one hand as he struck out at him, wildly with his other hand. Kamui stopped his punch and quickly twisted his arm, forcing Leo to turn around before he could react. Kamui kicked his knee and pressed one hand into his back and twisted his seized arm against his back. Leo's body shook as he tried to resist but Kamui's strength and leverage overpowered him.

"You're done…" Kamui grabbed Leo's with both hands and pressed his foot against his back. Kamui was about to break his arm to incapacitate him but instead he released him and called Tsume back to his hand. He turned and parried Corrin's slash. Her red eyes stared right into his with a glare.

"Don't touch him!" Corrin screamed as she slashed towards him again. Kamui parried her again and aimed his slash towards her wrist but she blocked the strike and grabbed his arm with one hand. Kamui's eyes widened but before he could pull away he felt a searing heat, strike his back. Corrin released him when he was hit, sending him tumbling onto the ground.

"Erm…" Kamui rolled onto his knee with a wince, raising his sword up to block Corrin's overhead slash. His back stung but he didn't feel the armor give way. Leo had cast a spell while his back was turned.

"You chose wrong…" Corrin pressed her sword down on him. Kamui stared at her as she continued to cry as she fought. Kamui would have normally been able to overpower her but the pain from Leo's spell and his sister's position made it hard on him.

"I should be saying that to you…" Kamui grit his teeth as he glared into his twin's eyes. Corrin continued to press harder on him though but neither of them could get an advantage.

"It's Azura isn't it?" Corrin asked and Kamui's eyes widened at the accusation. Did she really say something so shallow? Perhaps he did have growing feelings for the songstress but did she imply…his visions tinted red in anger.

"I'm right aren't I?" Kamui grit his teeth and he was about to retort but something else stole the moment.

"Kamui!" Corrin gasped as an arrow made of energy sank into her arm. She recoiled from the strike and Kamui used this opening to push up. His twin was forced onto her back foot and the prince grabbed her sword arm and pulled her in. He drove his knee into her stomach, making her gasp in pain but he wasn't done. He brought his free hand back and punched her across her left cheek and then hit the back of head with the butt of his sword, forcing her to fall to her knees, gasping. Kamui placed his sword on top of her neck, making her flinch.

"Surrender…" Kamui panted. His twin turned her head to look at him, her white hair obscuring all but her eyes.

"No…" she tried to move but he stamped his foot onto her back, forcing her onto the ground. Then he held his sword over her neck, sword point down.

"You've lost…" Kamui pressed his foot into her back, keeping her down. Before anything else could happen though, Kamui heard a explosion and a cry.

"Onii-Chan!" Kamui's eyes snapped up in horror to see Sakura kneeling over a downed Takumi who was unmoving. He saw wisps of dark energy around his body and his eyes snapped over towards Leo to see his smug face as he held his hand out in the direction of Takumi.

"Takumi!" Kamui shouted as he ran past his twin towards his downed brother. He slid into a crouch next to him and started pouring his healing magic into him.

"What happened?" Kamui asked Sakura as they worked on their brother. Takumi was motionless, part of his clothes had been burnt back and the flesh underneath was deathly pale. He heard a loud clash and turned to see Ryoma and Xander still going at it. Ryoma seemed to hold the upperhand but it was slight if any. He turned back to Sakura after he heard her cry.

"They fired on me…Leo took the hit…" Sakura whimpered as she poured her healing magic into the wound. The flesh returned to color a bit but they needed more time to heal it.

"Kamui, Sakura! Watch out!" Hinoka's cry made Kamui look up in time to see multiple dark spells flying at him. Kamui looked back at Sakura and Takumi before he stood up and moved in front of them.

"Onii-Chan!" Sakura screamed as Kamui leveled his sword at the dark spheres.

"Just heal Takumi! I'll worry about this!" Kamui slashed through one dark sphere and deflected another to the side. He couldn't dodge, he had to block or deflect all of them otherwise they would hit Takumi and Sakura. He felt tired, his body was no longer sore from taking the hits from Leo's magic but he was still exhausted. The past day was waning on him hard.

"I can't give up…" Kamui kept deflecting and blocking the dark magic as they came. He cut through them all, determined but when he was about to stop the last one, a strong gust hit his side, forcing his stance to break slightly so instead of his sword hitting one of the spheres, his left hand blocked it instead. He bit back a pained cry as he felt his arm suffer the hit. His armor around his arm broke and his undercoat ripped away, revealing the bandages covering his hand. He struck Tsume into the ground and used it to keep himself standing as exhaustion and pain set in. He glared at Leo and his twin defiantly, both looked shocked and a little guilty.

"Onii-Chan!" Kamui turned to smile at his little sister to show he was fine. Before he could say anything though, he heard Marzia's roar. He turned back around to see Camilla swoop down and cast a fire spell towards him. Kamui pulled Tsume out of the ground but he knew it wasn't going to be up in time. Instead he brought his left arm up to block it. He caught Camilla's shocked gaze before the flames hit him. He cried out as he felt the flames burn through the bandages to touch his already marred flesh. The force also sent him onto his back, his sword flying out of his hand as he crashed onto the ground.

"Ah!" Kamui's left arm burned, it was worse than anything Garon had ever done to him. He slammed his arm into the ground and quickly put out the flames by pouring dirt onto his arm and pouring his healing magic through his arm. Thankfully the flames were doused quickly but his flesh still burned in pain.

"Kamui!" Kamui looked up with bleary eyes to see Ryoma kicked Xander down before he broke into a sprint towards him. He sent two arcs of lightning towards Corrin and Leo before they could do anything, forcing them back. Ryoma knelt down before Kamui and helped him sit up.

"Kamui! Are you a-oh gods…" Kamui looked down at his arm and winced. His scared flesh was raw again and the skin had darkened a bit but that wasn't all. His burns had extended down his arm further now so that almost his entire forearm was burned. He looked back up towards Camilla in shock to see her staring at him with her hand covering her mouth and moist eyes.

"YOU BITCH!" Hinoka swooped in and slammed the shaft of her spear into Camilla before she could react, knocking her off of Marzia. Then Hinoka twisted her spear around and stabbed her spear down into the wyvern. Marzia cried out in pain and fell to the ground after her master. They weren't that high off the ground so they were both alive but they definitely felt it from what Kamui could see.

"Onee-Chan!" Kamui felt Sakura start pouring her healing magic into his arm but he pushed her back.

"No…help Takumi…I can…take care of it…" Kamui commanded as he got onto his knee and poured his healing aura through his injured arm. Sakura looked like she wanted to refuse but she consented and returned to her post over Takumi. Ryoma moved in front of them protectively.

"Damn it…" Kamui gasped as he got onto his feet finally as he continued to try mending his arm. The pain subsided slightly but it hurt so much regardless that it didn't really matter.

"Stay in the air, Hinoka!" Ryoma barked and Kamui summoned his sword back to his hand and gripped it with both hands despite the pain. He looked up towards Hinoka to see her staring at him worriedly but he shook his head at her.

"Don't worry about me!" Kamui shouted, making Hinoka reluctantly move higher into the air.

He returned his gaze back towards the ground to see that they had all gathered up. Xander looked winded and a little roughed up but he wasn't slowing down at all. Marzia was apparently down since she stayed on the ground growling softly. Except Camilla was still ready to fight apparently. Corrin and Leo were both disheveled from Kamui's bout with them but they were in better condition than he was. Elise was the only one not present…well at least there was that.

"How ironic…who would have thought you would add to these burns, Sister…" Kamui held up his burned hand for them all to see and Camilla flinched.

"Don't turn away from it…you caused this. You and Xander both let this happen! I thought…I thought you would always be there for me…I guess I was wrong. I thought you were the bravest people in the world…well you know what I was wrong. You're both cowards! You both did nothing while that monster you call a father did this to me! And now you've just added onto it and proven you're no better than he is!" Kamui shouted in outrage as he leveled his sword at them. He felt a little satisfaction flow through him when he saw tears slip down Camilla's cheeks and Xander actually winced.

"Tough talk coming from the loser!" Kamui glared at the dark knight, he growled lowly and he felt some of his teeth sharpen into fangs.

"I haven't lost until I'm dead on the ground!" Kamui roared, this was the last straw. He tried to plead with them, he tried to walk away without fighting but they just insisted! They hurt Takumi, they tried to hurt Sakura, and they reopened wounds that should have stayed closed forever.

"KAMUI! Enough! You're in no condition to fight! Please just come with us! We'll let Ryoma and the others go!" Corrin pleaded as she moved in front of the others. Her tears had dried up but she still looked sad.

"Indeed, surrender and come with us. We will get you treated and I will still call the invasion to halt and call the meeting. I swear to you we will not touch any Hoshidians. Please surrender before our forces arrive," Xander continued off of Corrin's statement. Kamui felt nothing but anger though at those words.

"Never!" Kamui shouted. He stood in front of Sakura and Takumi protectively as he prepared himself to continue the fight. Ryoma placed himself to Kamui's right and Kamui noted Hinoka position herself behind the Nohrians, though he noticed Leo was watching her.

"Kamui enough!" Corrin shouted, making Kamui tilt his head at her. Corrin took a few steps forward and held the Yato up towards them, the flat of the blade was shown.

"I wield the Yato. Ryoma, you yourself said that it was the Key to Peace. The wielder was the one who would herald peace to this world. It's destiny, I have thought about this choice and I know this is the right one! Please! Trust me!" Corrin shouted and Kamui started laughing in response. Corrin and the Nohrians flinched while Ryoma looked back at him as he stepped forward.

"You're still so naïve…sis…destiny? That's how you justify the slaughter you're going to become a part of? You are such a fool…" Kamui said cruelly as he glared at his twin. His twin stared at him in shock and he raised his burned hand up towards her.

"This…is what destiny has given me. Destiny has forced me to watch my father and mother die in front of me while I could do nothing to stop it. Destiny put me in the hands of a monster who made me kill other children just to survive! Destiny gave me two years of torture and a burned hand while the people I thought would help me did nothing but watched! I refuse to suffer under destiny any longer! Even if it costs me my life! I will fight for Hoshido, I will fight to protect the innocent! I…I am a Prince of Hoshido! A warrior of the White Light!" Kamui shouted, declared. Corrin and the others all flinched at his words.

"Kamui! Please listen to reason! I know you suffered, I know you want it to end! But please! Trust me, trust the Yato, it chose me! Please!" Corrin was crying again and while Kamui felt his heart ache, he wouldn't be swayed.

"Then…there's only one thing to say. The Yato chose wrong…" Kamui took no pleasure in watching hurt flash over Corrin's face. Kamui was about to charge forward but before he even moved, the Yato started glowing.

"What?" Corrin raised her sword up and gasped as the golden blade became covered in white light. Then the white late shot out and split off into two orbs. One flew off while the other one went right towards Kamui.

"What in the world-" Kamui held his sword out and slashed towards the orb when it came towards him but the orb just flowed over his katana like water until the blade was covered in it.

"What is this!?" Kamui stared at his sword in wonder and his eyes widened when the glow faded; his blade was changed. The sword was still a katana and it felt the same…only stronger. The sword was a silvery-white color now and the hilt and guard were the same with snowy white cloth covering the handle. Finally there were two diamond shaped marks on the blade starting from the hilt. It…it looked like the Yato but in katana form. He didn't have to look to realize that the other orb of light probably went to Kiba.

"What!" Kamui looked towards his twin to see that she still held the Yato but it was different now. It was still the same shape but now it was a black color and instead of four circles there were only two now.

"The power…split…" Kamui thought as he looked at his sword and looked towards Kiba to see it had undergone the same transformation as Tsume. More importantly though he noticed that it was right behind Leo.

"Now!" Kamui teleported and appeared behind Leo. The dark knight turned towards him in shock only to gasp as Kamui drove Tsume through his gut. He was careful not to stab his stomach or any other organs though. After all…he was still his little brother…

"Forgive me…" Kamui whispered as he pulled his sword out of Leo, wincing as he looked at his now blood covered sword. His brother stared at him in shock as he fell down onto his back.

"LEO!" Corrin shrieked. She raised her hand towards Kamui but before she could do anything a lightning bolt struck her, making her go stiff and fall to her knees. Hinoka swooped down and nailed Camilla in the back before she could react, sending her to the ground.

"Here goes…" Kamui pulled Kiba out of the ground and focused. His dragonstone glowed and he let out a yell that turned into a roar as he transformed into his dragon form. It was easier this time to transform as opposed to when he was chasing after his twin. Now he understood the feeling and could call it.

"What in gods name!" Kamui sprinted right for Xander and knocked him off his feet by ramming into him. Then he reached down and grasped Siegfried with his jaws and threw it away so that Xander couldn't blast him with his sword's magic. The dragon ran towards Ryoma and twisted around at the last moment and took a deep breath and focused on fire. He saw Corrin do it, so that meant he could too. When he let out his breath he was pleased when fire spewed from his mouth. He breathed fire around the area, creating a wall of it between the Norhians and the Hoshidians.

"Hinoka! Come down! Quick!" Ryoma shouted. Hinoka came down for a quick landing and Kamui quickly moved over to Takumi and Sakura. He noted that Takumi looked much better but he still looked a little sickly. The dragon prince knelt down and let out a small rumble. Sakura seemed to understand since she immediately started trying to pick Takumi up but unfortunately she couldn't. Ryoma had to come over and haul Takumi up in his arms and put him on Kamui's back. The dragon let out a little growl since he wasn't placed on his back gently but he didn't blame Ryoma.

"Kamui, can you carry Sakura as well? Hinoka's Pegasus can't carry three people," Kamui nodded in acceptance and motioned with his head for Sakura to get on. Before his sister could move though, Ryoma hauled her up and put her on Kamui's back. Sakura let out a yelp but she didn't complain. Kamui hissed slightly when she dug her heels into his side and she gave him a rushed apology.

"Keep healing Takumi and hang on tight, Sakura! We need to get out of here now!" a series of shouts were heard at the end of the samurai lord's sentence and Kamui turned to see dozens, no hundreds of Nohrian soldiers run out of the forest. Plus Corrin and the others were starting to recover from their sneak attack.

"Ryoma! Let's go!" Hinoka pressed as she held her hand out towards the samurai.

"Right! Let's be off!" Ryoma took Hinoka's hand and climbed up onto her Pegasus behind her. They took to the skies immediately but Kamui spared one last glance towards his Nohrian family. Corrin was crying over Leo as she held her hands over the wound he suffered. Leo was still conscious and he was holding onto Corrin's arm. Xander was staring at him in shock and now anger. Camilla was the only one looking at him who wasn't angry. She looked sad and…apologetic. She gave him a sad wave and Kamui turned back towards the direction his older siblings had gone and extended his wings out.

"Goodbye…" Kamui let out a roar as he took to the skies, careful not to twist or turn in a way that would make Takumi or Sakura fall off. When he was high enough to be out of range of archers or magic he leveled out and sped up to catch up with Ryoma and Hinoka.

"You did well!" Kamui let out a small growl in response to his older brother's praise when he flew next to them and slowed down to their pace.

"Ryoma? What are we going to do?" Sakura asked as they flew back towards the capital. Kamui turned his head towards Ryoma to see a rather troubled but determined look on his face.

"The only thing we can do, we prepare for war…"

* * *

 **Hey guys be honest, did any of you piece together what I had planned? I left a few hints here and there over the course of the story. I will release the next chapter tomorrow and the chapter after that the next day. Stay tuned!**


	13. Prince of Light

I don't own Fire Emblem

 **Hey everyone thank you so much for the reviews I appreciate it. Also thanks for pointing out those errors, Zoroark.**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed my little twist last chapter. Now we will be shifting away from the shared POVs to keeping it on one single POV per chapter at least for now. Now that the reveal is dropped I can say that I am going to combine Conquest and Birthright storylines for this story. I hope you guys enjoy the journey. Now onto some answers before we get to the plot.**

 **The Yato splitting was actually something I was struggling with for a while. I always wanted Kamui to have a katana but as someone pointed out, while they were great, they didn't compare to the Yato. I toyed with the idea of having Corrin have the Yato and that was the end of it but then I felt like it would have made Kamui look insignificant. Then I went with the idea of having two Yatos and eventually it turned into just the power splitting between the two.**

 **Consort: I wouldn't say it was really a victory; it was more like a draw; at least that was what I was going for. Kamui isn't stronger than Corrin exactly; he's the better swordsman. The twins both have equal "power" Kamui was just able to force the fight into a situation that favored him. Kamui was able to draw his twin and Leo into a close range fight to make their magic hard to use. Meanwhile Xander and Ryoma had their duel and Camilla was stuck fighting Hinoka in the air while Takumi was trying to shoot her down. Also keep in mind that Elise was not present in the fight while Sakura was.**

Chapter 12: Prince of Light

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 **Kamui's POV**

Kamui grunted as he adjusted his haori and tied his swords to his sash. He was sitting in his room at Shirasagi Castle. Apparently he had been confined to his quarters until his siblings were done with a war meeting. Kamui was annoyed that he was excluded but he went with it since he didn't want to cause problems. He spared a glance towards his armor, which he had deposited in the corner. It was placed there to await destruction. It was heavily damaged during his battle with his siblings. The entire part covering his left arm was destroyed and the back had been damaged irreparably. Unfortunately it wasn't like Xander or Camilla's armor and it could be damaged to the point of being useless. An unfortunate event, in the end it was simply training armor, something to hold him until he proved himself in Nohr's eyes. Kamui was glad to be rid of it; he couldn't look at it without thinking of what he lost…

"Corrin…Xander…Camilla…Leo…Elise…" Kamui felt his eyes grow moist and he grit his teeth as he forced the tears to stay in his eyes only to fail when they started spilling down his cheeks. He had stayed strong during the battle and even on the flight back to Shirasagi but now? Now he could fully comprehend what he lost, what he had done.

"Damn it!" Kamui kicked one of the tables in his room, sending it to shatter against one of the walls. He fell back onto his bed and covered his face with his hands as he tried to stop his tears from falling. His heart ached; it felt like it was going to rip itself out of his chest. It was ten times worse than what he felt out on the field where he actually committed the act. He slammed his fist into the table next to his bed and he heard a small rattle. He opened his tearful eyes and looked down to see a silver hand sized metal case with the Nohrian symbol on it. It only took a moment for Kamui to realize it was Corrin's. She must have forgotten it since everything from the meeting to the battle in the square happened so fast.

The dragon prince picked it up shakily and opened up and he nearly started sobbing. Inside the case was a picture of the entire Nohrian family, minus the King of course, he never counted him as part of the family. It was a picture taken on, his and Corrin's sixteenth birthday. Xander and Camilla were situated on the right and the left with big smiles on their faces. Kamui was next to Camilla with one arm around her and another arm around Elise who was clinging to him cutely while Camilla had both her arms wrapped around him with a gentle smile.

Except it was Corrin and Leo that stole the show in the picture; Corrin had both her arms wrapped around Leo's neck with her new scarf tucked snugly around her neck with a bright smile on her face. Leo was blushing but he looked pleased with himself, he had an arm wrapped around her waist and his head was leaned against Corrin's. The two looked like a couple, they always did have a bond even as children and it had only grown stronger. The prince supposed that they would probably give into their feelings soon and he wouldn't be there to see it. Kamui smiled but then his heart ached and he quickly closed the case and put it back on the desk. Then when he pulled his hand back he heard something clank and he looked towards his armor to see that a case fell out of one of it's pouches.

Kamui stood up from his bed and went over to it and picked it up but he flinched when he held it up. It was the same style as his twin's case except it had a small latch on it. He put it there for a reason; he shakily undid the latch with the key hidden in the back of the case. He knew he probably shouldn't open it but he couldn't help himself. As the case opened his eyes widened when he saw the picture inside, it made his heart shatter all over again. The picture was taken on his sixteenth birthday, they took multiple pictures and the six of them all took one to hold personally on them at all times.

Kamui's photo was a little more private, which was why he had a lock on it. The picture was of him and Camilla only. Unlike the other picture it was taken outside in the light of the moon. Kamui had an arm around Camilla and she had one around his shoulder. Their other hands were intertwined and their faces were so close they would just have to turn to…they were both smiling in the picture. It was different though from their usual joy in each other's company.

This was far more…intimate. Kamui had taken a break outside since he was exhausted from having to cook for his own birthday and keeping Elise and Corrin out of trouble. Camilla followed him outside and they just talked, mostly about small things, nothing too major. It was nice though, Kamui liked talking with Camilla alone she always dropped her smothering attitude around him and spoke to him like an adult. He thanked her for finding his red stone again and he said he would do anything to repay her. Surprisingly she said she only wanted to take a picture with him. Kamui was surprised but he agreed and they ended up taking the picture like that. Surprisingly, Kamui didn't blush in the picture; in fact he remembered feeling quite pleased. Camilla was actually the one who looked a little embarrassed in the picture.

"Camilla…" Kamui closed the case and put it into his belt. His heart skipped a few beats as he thought about the purple haired wyvern rider. Except his hand stung again, making him look at the uncovered burned flesh, reminding him that same woman was the reason his burns were reopened. Maybe she didn't love him as much as he thought…that hurt more than the burns themselves. Then his heart dropped and pained him harder as he realized he would never have those moments again. He lost all of them, including his twin…

His family, the people that raised him, he turned his back on them, he fought them but what hurt him the most was that they didn't believe in him. Year after year Camilla had taken care of him and told him she loved him over and over again. Xander had praised him after every training session, grooming him into a man. Leo thanked him in his own way for looking out for him and stopping him from isolating himself from the rest of the family. Kamui took care of Elise's every need even if it would be detrimental to him, her smile or laugh being enough to repay him. Living through everything with Corrin at his side, believing that they would do everything together. After everything they'd been through were all those years worth nothing to them? They meant everything to him! Ever since he got attached to the people of Hoshido he feared he would end up on the opposite side of Xander and the others and now that fear had become true. Worse actually, he didn't just lose them, he lost his twin…

"Rah!" Kamui drew Tsume in a vicious flurry and slashed it across the wall, slicing all the childish drawings created by him and Corrin. His anger and resentment boiled to the surface, he had to let it out.

"Damn you, Corrin! Why couldn't you trust me! Why didn't you believe in me!" Kamui slashed up all the pictures in the room to ribbons. He grabbed one of the chairs and threw it into the opposite wall, watching it break before he turned his gaze on his old armor. The thing it symbolized made his blood boil further. How could his twin turn her back on him! After everything they saw, how could she side with the people that ripped them away from their true home!

"Xander, I only needed you to help me this once! Camilla you were supposed to be there for me no matter what! Leo you fool, how could you forget everything I tried to teach you! Elise, why couldn't you take my hand if you loved me! You're all cowards!" Kamui dropped his sword and started tearing apart the armor on the stand with his bear hands. His vision tinted red as he tore the armor apart. Everything broke under his hands, even the metal. It wasn't until the armor laid in pieces at his feet that he finally stopped. He panted softly and just stood there, silently as he mulled over everything. Tears continued falling down his cheeks as he stood there.

"Kamui?!" the dragon prince slowly raised his head towards the door to see Azura peeking into the room, a shocked look on her face. After a few moments, the blue princess opened the door fully and closed it behind her before she ran up to him and hugged him. The hug was a little awkward but the prince was too lost to really mind. He lost feeling in his legs and fell to his knees and Azura went down with him.

"It's ok to feel sad…I…heard what happened…" Azura pulled his head onto her shoulder and stroked his hair gently before she wiped his tears away.

"Why? Why couldn't they love me enough to get past their fear?" Kamui whispered. He thought that at the end of the day they would pick their love for him over their fear of their father. How could they serve a man like that? Then again what did Kamui know, not a lot apparently since they turned their backs on him. They even tried to kill him…gods, Leo probably thought that he tried to kill him…

"Kamui…I can not imagine the pain you are feeling right now but…you have to be strong. I know you feel betrayed but…not everyone is as courageous as you. Garon is a terrible man and there is an equal amount of people who follow him out of fear and loyalty. You've seen some of the monsters he has created and what he was willing to do in order to achieve his goals…" Azura soothed. Of course how could he forget, he saw both his parents die to the King's treachery.

"They were my family, they promised they would stand by me…I know I made the right choice but it doesn't feel like I did…" Kamui muttered, feeling anger take hold of him again. Azura grabbed his head and pulled him back so she could stare at him with her golden eyes.

"If you believe you made the right choice…stand tall…" Azura released him and picked Tsume up and held the white blade up to him.

"The Yato's power split, Kamui. Half of it went to you because it was drawn by your conviction and your desire for peace. This means something; it means you have the power to bring peace as well. You have to embrace it…" Azura explained gently as she held the sword out to him. Kamui took her words to heart and he stared down at the sword, feeling its call to him again. He sighed before he took hold of the sword again but before he could pull his hand back, Azura held his scarred hand.

"This does not make you weak, Kamui...it makes you strong..." Azura said softly as she stroked his burned hand, mournfully. It made Kamui shiver slightly, no one had touched his burns like that since Camilla, excluding his forced confession to Ryoma and the others anyway. It was...nice.

"Thanks…Azura…" Kamui smiled at the songstress and Azura returned it. She stood up and held her hand out to him and he took it and let her help him up. Then he hugged her, making her let out a small yelp.

"Sorry for being a sap…I guess we won't be able to continue with our sessions as much now…" Kamui whispered and Azura let out a small laugh before she hugged him back.

"It is quite all right, duty calls of course…plus you're a little cute when you let everything out…" Azura teased and Kamui felt his cheeks heat up.

"At least I don't make the entire palace think there's a ghost somewhere…" Kamui replied, feeling smug when Azura flinched. Azura sucked in a breath and she was about to reply but the doors opened up and Kamui's eyes snapped over to the doorway to see a rather surprised looking Sakura and Kaze. Sakura's cheeks flushed deep red and Kamui was about to ask what was wrong un-Oh dear…

"Sakura!" Kamui and Azura sprang apart and Kamui did his best to remain casual.

"Sorry, Sakura, Kamui and I were just about to head off. Is Ryoma still waiting?" Azura asked casually. Sakura's cheeks were still flushed but she sighed before she shook her head.

"No…Ryoma had to leave. Takumi and Hinoka just left as well. Yukimura and the other generals are mobilizing. The Nohrians are already on the move," Kamui's eyes widened at that and he cursed silently. Of course they were already on the move.

"Why aren't we going with them then?" Kamui asked as he crossed his arms. He longed to speak to Ryoma and Hinoka again. He stepped out of his room with Azura and Sakura fiddled with her fingers nervously.

"Well…Yukimura and Ryoma wanted you to. You should have heard Hinoka and Takumi defend you as well…but the other generals and nobles said they didn't want you to go with the main force. They don't trust you…" Sakura said shamefully and Kamui stared at her in shock.

"What?!" Kamui couldn't believe this. He fought against his own family for crying out loud; he swore that he was a prince of Hoshido.

"The command decided against letting him join the main force?" Azura asked, disturbed.

"Yes…we tried to make them see reason but Ryoma isn't officially the King yet and all of them decided that Kamui was to remain back…the meeting was short because almost all of them journeyed out to join the fight…" Sakura said meekly and Kamui groaned.

"What am I going to do then?" Kamui asked, annoyed. Kaze stepped forth this time.

"The Generals decided that you will be granted a token force of recruits to lead how you see fit. Other than that the only ones who are going with you are volunteers. I volunteered to join you Milord as did Lady Rinkah," Kaze explained and Kamui nodded in understanding. Well…it was better than nothing. He didn't realize that Kaze and Rinkah believed in him that much.

"I'll be going with you as well," Azura declared and Kamui blinked but the action wasn't unexpected. He appreciated her company more than ever; he needed people who trusted him.

"What about you Sakura? Where are you going?" Kamui asked, he didn't hear where she was going yet.

"My retainers are waiting for me at Fort Jinya. I will be staying there for a time to tend to the wounded," Sakura explained and Kamui shook his head at the news. Already wounded? His mother's body wasn't even cold yet. They didn't even have her funeral and apparently they wouldn't be able to until the war was over. Damn them!

"I don't suppose you would mind some company then?" Kamui asked. He wanted to stay around one member of his family at least, two in this case. Sakura gave him the first smile he'd seen since they got back.

"Of course! I was hoping you would say that!" Sakura beamed as she gave him a hug. Kamui smiled and returned the hug, doing his best to ignore the familiar feeling of hugging another little sister…

"When do we leave then?" Kamui asked. Sakura took his hand and started leading him along while Azura and Kaze followed them.

"We have to leave soon but Ryoma and the others wanted me to show you something first!" Sakura led him through the halls, more excited than he'd ever seen. Usually she was shy and a little meek.

"What is it?" Kamui asked as he was led through the halls. Eventually they got to a room Kamui had not been in before. He'd passed it a few times but he never went inside. He never had a reason to, it wasn't his room and it certainly wasn't a room that belonged to any of his siblings.

"Come on!" Sakura pulled the sliding doors open and pulled Kamui inside. He followed after her with a small laugh and he heard Azura let out a small chuckle as well.

The room they entered was a little small when compared to the other rooms in the palace. By small though, Kamui meant that there wasn't a lot of room. It was far more ornate though than all of the other rooms except for the throne room. The room was finely polished so it looked new and there wasn't any dust at all. There was a statue of the Dawn Dragon in the back of the room. The place was filled with glass displays and stands filled with weapons, pictures, trinkets, parchments, clothing and armor. They all looked a tad worn, especially the weapons and armor. Kamui recognized the type of armor though, he could tell the armors were all crafted similarly to the armor Xander, Camilla and Leo wore except different in the sense that they were designed differently and made for warriors of light. Forged by similar materials able to withstand the waves of time and always able to be repaired no matter the damage unless it was something extreme. The other thing was that the armors were all crafted in a similar fashion to the traditional samurai armor he'd seen depicted in paintings and pictures.

"This is a…shrine of sorts. We keep something belonging to all of our rulers who have passed on…or something important to the royal family. We…would have placed Father's swords and portrait in here but Mother wanted to keep it close to the throne…I think she just wanted him close…" Sakura explained and Kamui frowned. He wanted to ask where their father's armor was but he had a feeling he knew the answer, he did see his death after all. No…he wouldn't haunt Sakura with that idea.

"Why did you bring me here?" Kamui asked, moving the topic off of that somber topic. He didn't trust himself at the moment to be able to comfort her. He noted that Kaze chose to wait outside while Azura stayed near the door.

"There is something here that belongs to you…Father made it for you and when…when you were taken from us, Mother had it moved here. We all wanted to be here to see you claim it but…" Sakura motioned towards the center of the room and Kamui moved around the cases to see what she was looking at and his eyes widened.

"Oh…" standing there as if beckoning him was a set of full armor that radiated the same energy Kamui sensed from his elder siblings' armor, though everything in that room did that. It was similar to the armor Kamui saw Ryoma wearing but it was designed with a more traditional sense in mind. The armor was white, only a tad darker than the prince's hair. It was also decorated with gold detailing. It lacked the haori that Ryoma wore but Kamui didn't mind. Unlike Ryoma's armor this armor held a helmet and a mask in the form of some kind of demon. The face of the mask was designed to have a snarling face with sharp teeth while the wearer's eyes would shine through the eyes, shaped in a glare.

"This is for me?" Kamui asked as he stepped towards the armor and placed his hand on it.

"Yes, Ryoma said it was time for you to claim it…they all wanted to see you don it but the war has forced them to leave before they could see it happen," Sakura explained. Kamui's eyes dropped down at the mention of the war again and he sighed before he turned to his little sister.

"They'll see it in time. Thank you, Sakura," Kamui said warmly and Sakura blushed and returned to her shy demeanor. The prince hugged her gently for that and she squealed slightly. She really was too cute…Kamui winced a little as an image of Elise flashed through his mind.

"No need to thank me, Onii-Chan…you're our brother…I am so happy you're with us," Sakura explained before she broke the hug and pushed Kamui towards the armor.

"Now hurry up and get dressed!" Sakura exclaimed in a rushed manner. Kamui chuckled at her attitude before he reached up and picked the helmet off the stand and stared at it for a few moments.

"Thank you…everyone…" Kamui would stand by his decision, he had a family that would put him first and he would do anything to protect them and the dream his mother died for…

* * *

 **Well who's depressed now? Stay tuned tomorrow for Corrin's aftermath.**


	14. Princess of Darkness

I don't own Fire Emblem

 **Boy writing is exhausting when you write for a long time and then take a break.**

Chapter 13: Princess of Darkness

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 **Corrin's POV**

"Kamui…" Corrin sighed as she sat against the walls outside of the throne room in Krakenburg. She kicked her legs around absentmindedly before she adjusted her gauntlets. She was dressed up in new armor now, it was seen fit to reward her for rooting out a "traitor" at least that was what Iago told her. Her armor was black and gold in color, designed a bit after her older brother's armor but with agility in mind. She even had a new cloak with the stamp of Nohr on it. The only problem she had with it was that it showed off a bit too much cleavage for her taste and unfortunately her undersuit on her legs were more like stockings than pants so the top of her legs were shown and she had to use her fault to try and hide it. She liked the armor and once upon a time she would have liked to show skin like that. Except after meeting Iago and Hans…she didn't particularly like the idea as much anymore. How did Camilla deal with everything?

Officially the armor was supposed to be a symbol of Garon's trust in her. Corrin only felt disgusted with the idea of the King of Nohr trusting her though. Why? Because she stepped on her brother to get into that position. It was funny, before everything she would have been more than happy to be rewarded like that but now she just felt disgusted with herself. In a sick twist of irony her twin's act of defiance put her in a good position to pursue her own plan. The feeling of the Yato against her side reminded her to be strong.

After the battle at the fields, Iago had ordered Corrin and her family back to Krakenburg. Xander didn't even have time to call the meeting together or halt the invasion. Leo's injuries would have killed any chance they had at halting the invasion regardless and it would have made it even harder for Corrin to convince the Nohrian high class to believe her. She would have looked like a spy for sure. Corrin didn't want to but she knew that speaking out was a bad idea, at least for now. Even Xander didn't dare speak up so she was forced to sit back and just deal with the events that happened.

"How did it come to this?" Corrin thought angrily as she flicked her fingers against her gauntlets slowly. She combed her white hair to give her something to do as she thought about everything that happened. She hadn't been able to really think about it lately since she had to keep up appearances in public and she was busy worrying about Leo as well. She had not even been able to ask Xander or Camilla bout anything her twin said. It wasn't until she arrived in Krakenburg where she was alone with her thoughts finally that she could think about everything clearly.

She didn't make her decision lightly, she thought about everything that could happen, including the war actually happening. Except she didn't account for the idea that her twin would actually decide against her. The look on his face was burned into her mind along with the betrayed looks on Ryoma, Hinoka, Takumi and Sakura's faces. She loved them, she really did and she knew that they lost their mother but she knew this was the right decision! They needed to remove Garon not remove the entire kingdom!

"Darn it Kamui…" Corrin swore as she shook her head. Why did he do it! That brother of hers and his stuck up morality! For all his pride in his logic, he had no tact for dealing with this issue! Corrin flinched when that thought passed through her mind and she shook her head. She couldn't fault her brother's logic and desire to protect Hoshido. Except she also couldn't help but be angry with Kamui though; didn't he know the turmoil he put the rest of them through?

Xander had been silent for almost the entirety of the trip back to Krakenburg. The only time he spoke was when someone asked him something and no one wanted to ask him anything since he had a haunted look on his face. Camilla had practically locked herself away and Corrin had only seen her at meal times. She tried to talk to her but Camilla would just shoo her away and tell her to "go play". Leo was bedridden for most of the trip and he kept talking about how he would make Kamui pay, so that made it hard for Corrin to sit with him. Corrin was angry with her twin for hurting him but she knew that he didn't do it to kill. Elise was the biggest problem though; it was like she died on the inside and put up a front to keep them away. Corrin was at her wit's end, she didn't know what to do. She spent the whole trip from Hoshido to Nohr trying to keep the family alive.

"Damn it…" Corrin swore as she felt tears well up in her eyes. Her twin…her best friend was gone, for the first time in her life she was without him and she was scared. She needed him; he was always the braver of them. She needed him to make the plan work didn't he see that! Now she was stuck on her own!

"Corrin?" the princess's head shot up and she blinked before she saw Leo standing before her, staring at her worriedly.

"Leo! How are you feeling! You're up!" Corrin jumped to her feet but before she touched him, she hesitated. Her eyes trailed down to the cane the dark knight was using to stand. Leo smiled wryly before he pulled her into a gentle hug with one arm. Corrin hugged him back before she backed off.

"Indeed, I was technically able to stand days ago but the healers kept me confined to let it heal faster. Don't worry I am quite all right. I only need the cane for a few days. Nothing really hurts except for my pride," Leo joked but Corrin didn't particularly feel like laughing. She just adjusted the straps on her new armor again and twirled a piece of her hair. Leo sighed before he adjusted so he was leaning against the wall next to her.

"I have something for you…" Leo said as he pulled something out of his pouch. Corrin turned to see what it was and she squealed when she saw that it was her scarf!

"You fixed it!" Corrin gushed as she pulled him into a tight hug. Leo tensed and Corrin quickly let him go with a guilty smile. Leo just gave her a pained smile, then he wrapped the scarf around her neck, snugly. Corrin sighed as she pulled the scarf around her snugly and rubbed her face into the soft fabric. It still surprised her to no end that Leo was able to make that.

"You were thinking about him weren't you?" Leo asked, and there went the mood… Corrin didn't answer since he knew the answer already.

"You should kick out any feelings you hold for him…he's a traitor…" Leo said rather venomously. Corrin ended up glaring at him for that and Leo shrugged.

"He betrayed us all for his "real" family. He picked them over the people who raised him for over ten years," Leo drawled and Corrin forced down the urge to smack him.

"He's my twin, Leo…you don't just kick feelings out over night. Not even you can do that…you know Kamui wasn't trying to kill you…" Corrin replied gently and Leo's hands clenched into fists and his eyes lit with fire. Corrin wasn't happy with her twin's choice of actions either but she wasn't naïve enough to believe that Kamui missed Leo's heart on mistake; the healers told them that nothing vital had been pierced. Her twin wasn't Xander or Ryoma but he could have done more damage with the maneuver he pulled.

"He's a traitor and he will face a traitors punishment for what he's done," Leo swore but Corrin just crossed her arms and shook her head.

"Make sure YOU believe those words before you actually say them," Corrin chided and Leo glared at her before he sighed.

"He is still a traitor…" Leo muttered and Corrin sighed but before she could reply, she heard the familiar steps of a certain Paladin. She turned to greet her older brother only for it to die in her throat. Xander looked tired and weary like he had just been told he had to do something he didn't agree with.

"Xander?" Corrin asked.

"Elise and Camilla are feeling…unwell and will not be joining us for this meeting," Xander spoke and Corrin sighed and shook her head.

"Do I even want to ask?" Corrin asked sadly. Xander shrugged and came over to stand next to them and leaned against the wall. This was new, he never did things like that; he always stood straight even if it was for long periods of time.

"They are in pain as we all are. They will…adapt in time or perhaps if we bring the Little Prince back they will return…" Xander commented and Corrin shook her head while Leo scoffed.

"The King has labeled him as a traitor. The only way he'll come back here is in a coffin," Corrin muttered and Xander nodded. Then he leaned down towards Corrin and she leaned closer as well.

"Unfortunately, events have postponed the call for the meeting. There are many who will believe that you are working with Kamui to bring ruin to Nohr. You will have to bide your time and earn the trust of the people. Until then we fight," Corrin sighed but she nodded in acceptance. She figured as much, it was only natural considering that she and Kamui were always close. Still though, she felt like Xander didn't exactly buy into the plan, even back at the crossroads. It seemed more like he was just saying it because he wanted the twins to come back. He seemed more fed up with the situation as Corrin looked at him now. Though she couldn't blame him, he was probably trying to figure out how to hold the family together. Still though…during the trip he didn't look quite as ragged as he did there, perhaps he was hiding it all that time?

"Or we could just go through with the war and wipe them out…" Leo suggested and Corrin gave him a glare, which made the dark knight shrug.

"Regardless of the circumstances, we need to fight," Xander sighed and Corrin shook her head.

"Just making sure the options are there…" Leo dismissed. Corrin was about to throttle him but before she could, the doors to the throne room opened up and they all straightened up. Corrin shuddered inwardly when she saw Iago step out of the throne room.

"Ah, Prince Xander. How nice of you to join us; tell me, where are Princess Camilla and Princess Elise?" Iago asked with disgustingly fake worry. His eyes went to Corrin and the princess shuffled a little uncomfortably. She was thankful she didn't get the armor until she got to Krakenburg. The creep was already eyeing her quite a lot on trip, especially the when they were stuck on the ocean part of their journey.

"Our sisters are unwell…they are also being cared for by their retainers. There is no need for you to do anything, Iago…" Xander moved in front of Corrin and the princess felt Leo take her hand. Iago frowned and scoffed in a stuck up way before he turned away with a sneer. Corrin watched him leave like a child who was told he couldn't have a toy.

"Such a waste of a pretty face…" Corrin thought she heard him say before he walked off. She shivered inwardly, wasn't that guy at least ten years older than her?

"Parasite, I don't know why Father keeps him around…" Xander muttered. Corrin made it a note that if-when Xander replaced the King, they would kick that man out first thing, Hans too if he was still around.

"He'll never touch, Corrin as long as I am around…" Leo swore and Corrin blushed at the sheer protectiveness in his voice. She giggled, making the dark knight blush, then she leaned in and kissed his cheek.

"My hero…" Corrin teased and Leo looked like he was about to blow, but he looked pleased, very pleased actually.

"Come along, you two…" Xander commanded as he already walked into the throne room. Corrin gave Leo one last smile before she let go of his hand and followed after their older brother and she heard Leo's cane tap the floor behind her as a sign that he was moving.

"Corrin followed Xander into the throne room to be greeted by the King. Garon looked as menacing as she remembered if not more, perhaps she felt that way because her sister's weren't with her and her twin was now a traitor. Still…she got the new armor so that had to mean that she was not going to be killed or detained. Corrin did what she could to remain calm and not give off any hints that she really didn't feel safe around the king.

"Ah…Corrin, I was wondering when you would arrive. I see the new armor suits you. Good, I feared that the measurements were off. You see the moment I got word of your heroic deeds, I saw fit to finally give you something befitting of your status…" Garon's voice boomed through the hall. Corrin wasn't even in front of the throne yet and it sounded like he was standing right in front of her.

"Heroic deeds?" Corrin asked, confused. She came to a stop next to Xander but Leo didn't come up to stand with them. The King nodded before he stood from the throne.

"Indeed, Xander told me about how you played your traitorous twin into revealing his true colors as a traitor to Nohr. He also mentioned that you managed to slay the Hoshidian Queen and bring down that accursed barrier that had been keeping us out of that forsaken kingdom. You have given us two great boons," Garon boasted and Corrin barely contained her surprise. She looked towards Xander and saw that his eyes were closed and it all clicked in her head. He…he lied to the king to try and protect her and he threw her twin to the wolves…

"It's true father, the traitor tried to kill me and Corrin saved me," Leo finally moved up to her other side and Corrin turned to him in barely contained shock. Leo…he was in on it too… Did that mean Elise and Camilla knew about it too? That would explain why they stayed away, they probably couldn't stomach the idea, Corrin couldn't either. Except she had to if she wanted her plan to be worth it, otherwise everyone would die. She didn't want Xander to kill Kamui, she didn't want to see her families kill each other.

"I see…regardless of these accolades though, the fact remains that many of my court believe that you are working as a spy for Hoshido to destroy us…since your brother still lives. He could be a great threat, especially if he has a spy on our side…" Garon commented and Corrin flinched. She felt Leo and Xander tense as well as the king gazed down at them, critically.

"I am willing to give you a chance to prove yourself though…" Corrin nearly collapsed as she let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Leo started coughing and Xander just closed his eyes again.

"Thank you, my King…" Corrin didn't want to call that man her father anymore if she could help it.

"One of our kingdom's tribes have refused to answer our calls to war and are even openly rebelling against us. We have received word that they are even harboring Hoshidian spies in their midst. I want you to travel there and put them down. I don't care whether you kill them or reaffirm their loyalty to us," Garon explained and Corrin's breath nearly hitched. The ice tribe…wasn't that the tribe Felica and Flora belonged to? Xander did say Flora went missing…

"Of course, my King. I will not fail you…" Corrin said respectfully, doing her best to remember what Kamui taught her about political tact.

"We shall set out immediately, Father. This will be swift," Xander proclaimed and Corrin let a small smile leak onto her face despite her budding anger towards her brother for throwing Kamui to the wolves.

"No! There is no doubt that you would crush these rebels together This is a test for Corrin, to prove her loyalty and her worth. She will undertake this mission without any aid from you or your siblings…" Garon commanded and Corrin winced. Alone? Maybe he was trying to get her killed.

"Wha-but Father. Corrin can not take an entire tribe of rebels alone!" Xander pleaded but Garon held his hand up.

"You are needed in Hoshido to continue the invasion, if you truly intend to be the Crown Prince you will fulfill your duty and lead our men. Camilla and Leo shall accompany you as well. Elise will stay in Nohr for a time before she will journey to Hoshido as well. Also…if you find that traitor, I want him brought back alive if possible so he can suffer…a traitor's death," Garon commanded and Xander grunted but he knelt his head in submission. Corrin shuddered at the thought, Xander couldn't really be agreeing to that right?

"Father, surely you can't mean to send her alone though!" Leo interjected and Garon glared right at him and the dark knight flinched. Corrin felt her heart clench, she hoped the King was not in a punishing mood. She didn't know if she could stand back if Leo got hurt.

"Do you believe me a fool, Leo? I would not send Corrin in completely alone. There would be no point in the test if I did that. I merely wish to see her act in a small group and in command of a larger group," Garon explained in an annoyed manner. Leo bowed and stepped back while Corrin let out another relieved sigh in her head.

"There is already a force of men waiting near the tribe. You will have to make your way through the Forlorn Forest to reach them. Do not fear though, I will not send you completely alone…" the doors opened behind Corrin and she turned around to see a face she didn't think she'd see again.

"Greetings, Milady. I trust you are in need of my services once again?"

"Jakob!?"

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 **Ok everyone thanks for reading! Let me know what you think! Also on a final note I am going to take a break so don't expect the next chapter for a bit. I'm taking a week off from this and then I'll get back to it.**


	15. First Step

I don't own Fire Emblem

 **Hey guys here's another chapter for you. We're finally getting to the meat of the plot I planned when I first thought this story up. On another note, I really really hate describing the eyes of characters, I keep forgetting what color they are or I can't tell what they are in the pictures on them!**

 **On another note, I hate to ask but does anyone want to make a cover image for this story or could you refer me to someone who could? I wanted to make the cover image myself but…well I'm not the best artist on the computer and I feel like the image should be made that way. Well regardless let me know what you guys think. Should I just draw it by hand or make it on a program? Should I seek out someone else to do it for me? Let me know what you guys think, tell me in reviews or PMs.**

Chapter 14: First Step

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 **Kamui's POV**

"So how far away is this fortress, Sakura?" Kamui asked as he rode his horse down a road, currently they were riding up a small hill. It wasn't hard to spot him considering his new armor made him stick out. He decided not to wear the mask until he actually got into battle though. He was in the front of the group while Azura and Sakura rode next to him. The men placed under the prince's command walked behind them at a leisure pace. Kaze and Rinkah were somewhere behind them, situated in the ranks to "keep watch". At least that's what they told Kamui when they started their march. Kamui just had a feeling they were really listening in for dissent, Kamui didn't need to be a genius to realize that the men under his command were told things about him before they were placed with him.

He only had a group of around fifty men and women. More than half of them were samurai or spearmen. Small portions were diviners and archers and an even smaller portion of them were sky knights. From what Kamui had seen they were trained and disciplined enough to gear up and move on command yet apparently that didn't stop them from talking when he wasn't around or they thought he wasn't paying attention. He had caught them whispering while pointing at him more than a few times on their march. The fort was only a day away and Kamui was already dealing with things he shouldn't have to. Had his skill not been proven yet? It annoyed him to no end but he kept himself in check by talking to Azura and Sakura.

"Not too far, we should see it soon…I think," Sakura replied as she scratched her head a little nervously. She pulled her map out and looked it over, making Kamui a little worried. He also noticed that her hands were a little shaky. She'd been that way ever since they set out from camp. She wasn't that fidgety when they left Shirasagi. It started the night before when they were getting ready for bed. Kamui had to sit by her cot the whole night to make her sleep.

"Are you ok, Sakura?" Kamui asked and Sakura almost dropped the map.

"Uh, yes of course!" Sakura reassured and Kamui deadpanned. Sakura chuckled nervously and Kamui shook his head before he turned towards Azura.

"What did you do?" Azura flinched at his accusation before she straightened up and turned away.

"I have no idea what you are talking about!" Kamui's face met his hand and he shook his head. He sighed and pulled his hand back before he gave Azura a small glare.

"Tell me or no cinnamon rolls for breakfast next time…" Kamui threatened and Azura gasped before she glared at him.

"You wouldn't dare…" Kamui crossed his arms at her and gave her a "try me" look. Azura flushed and sighed before she averted her gaze.

"I may have scared her with a…ghost story to get back at her for making fun of my "projecting voice" …" Azura muttered and Kamui shook his head. It was like Leo and Elise all ov- Kamui shook his head before his thoughts went somewhere uncomfortable. Last thing he needed was to get depressed.

"I see…fine…make your own cinnamon rolls for the next week. Sakura gets yours…" Kamui laughed when Azura's shoulders slumped and Sakura ended up giggling also. It was funny to Kamui how he still needed to act as disciplinary even at their age. Wasn't Azura older than him?

Recently, Azura had been opening up a little more; she laughed more and tended to be more involved. Not just with Kamui but with Sakura as well. Perhaps she decided to be a little more outgoing since they didn't have time to spend in the morning anymore, at least not any time they could spend in private. Kamui didn't really mind, it was nice to see her be involved with the rest of them instead of acting like a ghost. Even back before everything happened, Azura tended to make herself scarce after their sessions were over. Now she was sticking around a bit more.

Kamui wondered if his decision had anything to do with Azura coming out of her little shell at least a bit. He also still wanted to understand why she approached him out of anyone, especially since she'd known Sakura and the others for years already. Even he warmed up to the others in only a few days. Maybe his mother was right and she took a liking to him? Maybe…

Maybe she understood that he needed someone to talk to after losing Corrin and the others and that he probably needed more than just simple conversation. He didn't mind; if anything he appreciated her company, he felt like he could talk to her since they came from similar backgrounds after all. Rinkah and Sakura were there for him but Kamui didn't want to appear weak in front of Sakura and he didn't know if he could talk to Rinkah about any of his issues just yet. Azura was someone he felt like he could talk to, heck he had been doing it already so it wasn't hard to continue.

"That's not fair!" Azura pouted and Kamui shrugged his shoulders playfully as they finally broke the hill they were climbing over. Before they could argue more, Sakura tugged on Kamui's arm. The prince turned towards his little sister to see her pointing towards something and he turned back to see that she was pointing at what he assumed was Fort Jinya.

Fort Jinya was a lot grander than he thought it would be but then again it was close to the capital so they probably had to make it like that to prevent enemies from getting to the capital. The walls were made out of stone and he saw another layer of walls inside. The buildings inside were made out of wood like most of the buildings in Hoshido were. The only building that was made out of stone was the tallest one; Kamui assumed that was the keep of the castle. It certainly would be hard for an enemy army to take the fortress from what the prince could see.

"I assume that's it?" Kamui asked and Sakura nodded. The prince nodded and turned towards his men.

"Come on! The fortress is in sight, we're almost there!" Kamui shouted before he snapped his reigns and his horse started walking again. He heard the men give a few cheers but not too many.

"The fortress is used more as a hospital than an actual base since the fighting is so far from here," Sakura explained as they rode. Kamui noted only a few guards were on the walls when there should have been much more for a fortress so big and important.

"Strange…I would have thought this place would be staffed with more troops. Maybe they're more lax because there's no battle. Still though there aren't that many sentries on duty," Kamui observed, as he got closer to the fort. One of the guards caught sight of them and Kamui waved towards him. The guard waved back before he shouted something behind him and then a few moments later the gates opened.

"Well at least we'll be able to rest here for a few days…" Azura mentioned as they rode into the fort. The three were greeted by a small party of troops and Kamui was struck when he saw that there were so few men around. Why was the fort staffed so poorly?

"Sakura!" Kamui turned his gaze back down to the small party greeting them. There were a few samurai but they were clearly escorting the two people that stood out between them.

The first one was the one that shouted his sister's name. She was a short girl, no taller than Sakura. She was dressed as a samurai but instead of the usual white or red she wore a pink robe along with silver armor though she had more than the normal samurai were given. She even had an actual katana for a weapon instead of those broader, cheap versions that were given to the normal samurai. She had long brown hair that was unkempt yet not to the point of getting in the way. The only thing keeping her hair out of the way was a white and red headband. Her brown eyes and face were filled with joy as she waved towards Sakura.

The other person was a man dressed up in the armor and garb of a sky knight, just shorter than the prince. Kamui noted that his armor was similar to Hinoka's but a bit less ornate, which made sense, it was also blue. A naginata was strapped to his back though Kamui didn't see his Pegasus anywhere. He had long dark red-brown hair done in a ponytail. His brown eyes gazed at Sakura happily and while he wasn't as excited as Hana, Kamui would tell he was just as pleased to see her.

"Subaki! Hana!" Sakura hopped off her horse with agility Kamui didn't think she had and sprinted up to them. Hana tried to bow but Sakura scooped the girl into her arms for a big hug. The samurai girl blushed a little before she returned the hug. Kamui smiled as he dismounted his horse and tied both his and Sakura's to a post.

"Her retainers?" Kamui asked Azura as the songstress tied her own horse down.

"Yes, Hana and Subaki. Sakura is quite fond of them, she picked them solely because of her friendship with them," Azura explained as they both walked towards the group. Kamui nodded and he smiled a little at the thought, he wondered if those stuck up nobles were flustered over that.

"Kamui! Come on!" Kamui chuckled as his sister ran back to him and pulled him and Azura by their arms to her two retainers. He noticed that Hana frowned at him as Sakura pulled him towards her.

"Subaki, Hana, you remember my sister, Azura. This is my big brother, Kamui," Sakura introduced without her usual nervous tendencies. Kamui gave them both a polite bow in greetings.

"Hello, it is a pleasure to meet you," Subaki smiled and offered his hand to him and Kamui shook it.

"Lady Sakura talked about you a lot in her letters. It's a pleasure to meet you finally. I am Subaki as my liege said, I am her preferred retainer," Subaki laughed at the last part and Kamui chuckled slightly before he turned towards Hana but she only gave him a neutral stare.

"Greetings," Kamui said in a friendly manner as he offered his hand to her. Hana slowly took his hand and squeezed down on his hand as they shook. Kamui frowned as she tried to squeeze his hand; she seemed annoyed that he didn't get hurt as she pulled her hand away.

"So you're the one, Lady Sakura has been talking so much about…" Hana asked, skeptically. She gave him a glance up and down before she shook her head as if she wasn't pleased. She turned towards Azura and gave her a smile and a bow.

"Lady Azura…" Kamui was a little annoyed at her dismissal of him and Azura was a little discomforted as well.

"Hana!" Sakura chided and Hana flinched before she gave Kamui a bow.

"Milord…" Kamui crossed his arms at her. He was a little tired with the disrespect he had been getting lately.

"Are you this disrespectful to my brothers and sisters? I don't know if I feel comfortable with having someone so rude guard MY sister…" Kamui's words were sharp and Hana gave him a glare but the prince glared right back and she flinched. Kamui backed off when she did and he turned away.

"Hm…you should learn some respect…I don't care what you think about me but I AM in charge here, remember that…I can have you removed from your position…" Kamui threw out as he walked off towards Rinkah, who was waving him over. He heard Sakura start chastising her retainer but he didn't listen in on it. Rinkah was sitting on a bench and Kamui planted himself next to her and leaned back against the wall to sigh.

"Not playing nice with the others?" Rinkah laughed and Kamui pulled his helmet off and wiped his hand through his hair.

"That's putting it mildly…" Kamui groaned, he was never good and making new friends but this was ridiculous. He felt Rinkah push something on him and he opened his eyes to see her offering her flask to him.

"It helps with the migraines, trust me," Rinkah smiled at him and Kamui took the flask and took a sip and nearly broke into a coughing fit at the bitter taste. He expected it to be alcohol but even then it was worse than he expected. He swallowed it down without coughing and Rinkah laughed at him.

"Most outsiders aren't even able to swallow my tribe's "elixir". I had a feeling you would though, you give off the air of a real man," Kamui gave her a playful glare and pushed her slightly and Rinkah just laughed harder. He ended up joining her as he handed her back the flask.

"I don't recall alcohol tasting so bad…" Kamui sighed and Rinkah gave him a surprised look.

"Aren't you only seventeen?" Kamui laughed sadly as his eyes trailed down to his helmet and turned it over in his hands.

"The drinking age in Nohr is around sixteen though it is frowned upon...for nobility anyway. With a si-I was given a drink at that age and I hated the taste," Kamui winced inwardly at the thought of a certain wyvern rider. Rinkah seemed to sense his distress since she pushed the drink towards him again.

"People don't generally drink for the taste…" Kamui smiled but he pushed the drink away.

"I want to remember though…" Kamui thought as he leaned against the wall again. He watched Azura stand by with a rather stoic look while Sakura was yanking Hana's ear and chiding her about something. Poor Hana was batting at the healer's hands to no avail. Whatever it was must have been funny since Subaki was laughing. Though Kamui thought Sakura acting that way was funny in general. Then his mood was ruined when he saw some of his samurai pointing at him, though they turned around the moment he looked at them. He felt his blood boil again as he contemplated pulling them into a spar with him. Perhaps they needed a demonstration of his skill?

"They will follow you in time…" Kamui turned towards Rinkah to see her toss back a mouthful of the foul liquid in one gulp.

"I could just tell them if they don't keep quiet, they have to drink whatever that "elixir" is," Kamui joked and Rinkah started coughing as she laughed. She ended up spilling some of the drink on her self and Kamui shook his head. He reached into his pouch and offered her one of the random cloths he kept.

"Here…" Kamui sighed but then Rinkah blushed suddenly and then for a moment a smile flashed by her features.

"…can you wipe me down, I don't know where I was hit…" Kamui flinched at the request and his eyes immediately locked on where she got her drink spilled. Some of it was on her shoulders, which wasn't too bad but where the rest of it was, made him blush. The rest of the place she spilled was the area right above her chest and her…very toned stomach. The fact that her skin was wet now really defined how fi-no!

"Er…that would be inappropriate…" Kamui subverted as he quickly threw the cloth on her practically. Rinkah chuckled and started wiping herself down and Kamui resisted the urge to watch. It was almost as bad as one of…Camilla's teases.

"See something you like?" Kamui stared at her in shock and he felt turned away from her. What the hell was going on? Rinkah laughed at his misfortune and Kamui felt his heart flutter a little. Thankfully before anything more embarrassing happened, Azura came over to bail him out.

"What's so funny?" Azura asked as she took a seat on Kamui's other side.

"Just the prince here being cute," Kamui deadpanned in response to Rinkah's remark. So much for not being embarrassed, seriously why was it always him? He felt like crawling into a hole when Azura and Rinkah laughed at his expense. He grabbed Rinkah's flask and chugged the vile liquid without a wince this time much to Rinkah's shock. Maybe forgetting was a valid tactic after all.

"Oh water, may I? I am feeling a little parched from the ride," Azura asked and Kamui was about to tell her it wasn't water but then an evil thought occurred to him.

"Sure…" Kamui handed her the flask and he saw Rinkah shake her head in amusement. Azura took the flask and took a rather big tip and Kamui covered his mouth to hide his smile when he saw her eyes widen. Then Azura pulled the flask away and for a few moments she sat there, cringing with the foul liquid Rinkah called elixir. Then in the next moment she tried to swallow it but failed. She started coughing and the foul liquid spilled onto her dress. Kamui and Rinkah laughed a little and Azura glared at them.

"Very funny…" she coughed as she pulled out a cloth and wiped her face down. Then she looked down at her dress and she flushed red. Then at that point Kamui and Rinkah froze. Azura's dress was white and she got it wet…

"Oh great…" Rinkah and Kamui jumped up and stood in front of the singer fast and Kamui cursed the fact that he didn't have his cloak anymore.

"Kamui! Rinkah!" Azura chided and Kamui chuckled a little nervously.

"Come on!" Kamui and Rinkah shielded Azura as best they could as Kamui led them to his horse. He quickly reached into the pack and pulled a cloak out of the pack he kept on the horse.

"Here…" Kamui chuckled when Azura snatched it out of his hands and wrapped it around herself.

"I have a spare dress in my pack…" Kamui went to Azura's horse and pulled the whole pack off of the horse instead of opening it. Gods know he learned that lesson from growing up with Cam- he shook his head and took the pack to Azura who nodded.

"Let's head up to the keep…" Azura dragged Kamui and Rinkah with her as she walked. Kamui gave a small wave to Sakura as they left though he wasn't sure if she saw since she was still chewing Hana out, who looked like a kid caught stealing cookies in the middle of the night.

"Why am I going?" Kamui asked as Azura led them through the fort. Kamui noted that there was almost no one in the fort, considering how big it was. There were only a few soldiers spaced out to the max. Like the fort had the bare minimum of people to staff it.

"Because you caused this," Azura threw out and Kamui rolled his eyes.

"Then why am I being dragged along too?" Rinkah asked.

"Because you knew what was in that flask, it's yours isn't it?" Rinkah laughed offhandedly like she didn't really care and Azura huffed a little. It didn't take them too long to reach the innermost area of the fort, considering who Azura and Kamui were. The guards didn't give Kamui any looks thankfully, if anything they acted like they weren't even there. Kamui winced when they got near the keep; the area was being used as a hospital basically. Wounded were all over the place and healers were running around, tending to them. Azura was in such a hurry though that Kamui didn't have time to even take in the keep before they were already going inside.

"Come on…" Azura led them both through the rather empty and stony building. Kamui supposed there was no need to keep the patients in the keep. There were still guards around but there were even less than there were outside.

"Now what?" Kamui asked as Azura led them to one of the rooms. She let go of them finally and opened the door before she yanked them both inside. The room was a simple bedroom, though it was a little…desolate considering that the walls were made of stone.

"Guard the door for me…" Azura said as she took the bag from Kamui and went over towards the bed. Rinkah closed the door behind them while Azura put the pack onto the bed and opened it up. She pulled another one of her dresses out of it and placed it onto the bed. Then Kamui realized something very important.

"Wait why am I in here?" Kamui asked quickly and Azura paused and looked towards him questioningly.

"You're there to make sure no one comes in while I change," Azura said before she turned around and undid the laces to her dress and Kamui flinched.

"Wait, can't I do that outside!?" Kamui blushed when he saw her dress fall, Kamui's eyes trailed along her rather shapely and fit figure, she was only left in her bra an- Kamui shook his head and turned around quickly and resisted the urge to turn around.

"Ha! Relax, she's only changing! We're going to be serving together, get used to it!" Rinkah joked and Kamui glared at her but he was a little happy to see that Rinkah was a little embarrassed like he was. Kamui wasn't sure what he was supposed to be feeling to be honest. He could imagine what Ca-no!

"There we go, I'm ready now," Kamui and Rinkah both turned as Azura was tying her dress down. Her cheeks were somewhat red but she looked smug if anything. Kamui extended Azura's cinnamon roll ban to two weeks in his head yet at the same time he couldn't help but not be mad exactly…wait what?! Stupid hormones, he was supposed to be fighting a war not worrying about "that"!

"Smooth…" Rinkah coughed as she opened the door and the three left the keep silently.

"Thank you…" Azura giggled and Kamui shook his head as he fought to make his body cool down and to block out the admittedly nice image he saw. He'd die before he said that out loud though. That act Azura did alone was worse than anything Camilla ever did to him! He winced at the thought as his heart throbbed painfully…and warmly at the same time as he thought about Azura and Camilla. He shook his head out of those thoughts though, it was not the time to be thinking about romance.

"Oh don't fret so much, I trust you, Kamui," Azura teased as she pushed his arm slightly and he only gave her a small glance. He shook his head and she only giggled a little. Rinkah shook her head too but she was redder than Kamui. The prince would have responded but the groans of some of the men in the makeshift hospital caught his attention.

He turned his attention to the wounded again and he winced. Unlike before he wasn't being rushed so he could see their injuries vividly. Most of them were bandaged somewhere on their torso's. The ones that weren't…were missing limbs. One soldier had bandages wrapped around his eyes and Kamui could tell that one was in more pain because of the loss more than the injury itself.

"The war just started a few days ago…how are there so many here already?" Kamui asked as he shook his head.

"The Nohrians were already attacking our people long before the war started. Most of the men here were scouts or messengers that left the security of our borders. They were all attacked without provocation. I dare say if the Queen wasn't who she was, the war never would have ended the first time…" Rinkah explained and Kamui shook his head. The battle at the canyon flashed through his mind and he felt disgusted. He was glad to longer be partaking in those actions. The thought that Xander and the others glorified it disturbed him.

"Yes…it's sad but true…" Azura said somberly and Kamui frowned. One soldier started screaming and the prince shook as he looked towards the man. The healer attending to him tried to hold him down but he pushed her off. The bandages around his torso were becoming dark red fast.

"Azura, Rinkah!" Kamui moved towards the man quickly and the other two followed. He grabbed the soldier and forced him down onto his cot.

"Calm down!" Kamui commanded and he grabbed the man's hand when he tried to push on his head and forced it down.

"The pain! It hurts so much! Make it end!"

"Hold him down!" Kamui ordered as Rinkah grabbed the man's arms and held him down while Azura held down his legs. The prince laid his hands over the injury and poured his light magic over the wound. The soldier still squirmed around but after a few moments his motions calmed until he stopped resisting. The prince sighed as he wiped away some sweat as he finished healing the wound enough for the man to rest. He nodded to his companions and they released the man.

"Incredible…" Kamui turned towards the healer who was tending to the man and he stood up.

"How many of them are injured as badly as this one?" Kamui asked and the healer straightened up.

"Milord, most are not injured as gravely but all of them are in need of care. We are not staffed with enough healers to tend to them all efficiently," the healer answered and Kamui nodded.

"Rinkah, get Sakura and any healers we have and bring them up here," Kamui ordered and Rinkah nodded before she ran off without a word.

"We'll help out as much as we can," Kamui turned back to the healer and she bowed to him.

"Thank you Milord!" Kamui smiled a little at the clear appreciation in the healer's voice before she ran off. He turned to Azura to see that she was smiling as well.

"You have a kind heart, kinder than most would think…" Azura complimented and Kamui shrugged.

"I suppose…" Kamui sighed as he looked over the wounded; he just hoped it would be enough. He was worried about Ryoma and Takumi; he wasn't so arrogant to believe his presence would keep them safe. But it would help him alleviate some of his worries. He hoped he wouldn't be stuck in the back line for too long. It wasn't the position he was made for.

"Mi-Milord?" Kamui flinched and his gaze quickly turned towards the familiar voice. Sure enough his ears didn't deceive him, standing among the wounded with her healing staff was someone he never thought he would see again.

"Felicia!" Kamui ran towards the pink haired maid and embraced her in a warm hug.

"Oh!" Felicia wrapped her arms around him too as she hugged him tightly as well.

"What are you doing here!" Kamui exclaimed as he pulled back to look his maid over for injuries.

"I-I was looking for you Milord…Jakob and I got separated so I just decided to look for you and Lady Corrin. I came across some of these injured men and well…I couldn't just leave them to die so I helped them and they led me here. They told me that you were coming so I decided to stick around and make myself useful," Felicia explained and Kamui nodded but he winced since he knew what was going to come next.

"I heard about what happened…" Kamui was shocked to hear that. Why was she still around then? He was surprised though when Felicia took a knee and nodded her head.

"I know I swore and oath to both you and your sister but you were the one that I always looked after even if you didn't need it. I will miss Lady Corrin but I won't abandon you Milord…if you will have me of course…I will be your servant still," Felicia swore. Kamui smiled and offered his hand to her. At least his actions seemed to inspire someone.

"Of course, you don't have to ask," Kamui accepted and Felicia smiled as she took his hand and pulled herself up. Then the maid looked behind him.

"Who's your friend?" Felicia asked and Kamui turned and beckoned Azura over. The singer seemed a little surprised but she approached nonetheless.

"This is Azura, she's a princess of Hoshido. She's actually from Nohr but Hoshido took her in at a young age. Similar to how I was taken by Nohr actually," Kamui explained and Felicia seemed surprised but she still bowed towards Azura.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Lord Kamui's faithful maid and retainer," Felicia said politely and Azura flushed a little.

"Um…there's no need to bow, please," Azura stammered and Kamui laughed gently. Azura gave him a half glare but before she could reply, Kaze suddenly dropped in, literally. Kamui turned towards the ninja in surprise and his heart went cold when he saw the urgent look on his face.

"Lord Kamui! The sentries have just spotted a force of Nohrians approaching!" Kamui's eyes widened and everyone in earshot froze as well.

"What!? But how did they get past Lord Ryoma and Lord Takumi?" one of the healers asked. Kamui grit his teeth and turned towards one of the soldiers.

"Move the wounded into the keep now!" Kamui ordered before he ran off towards the walls, he sensed Azura following after him but he didn't bother telling her to go back. He didn't stop to hear anyone acknowledge his command. He ran out to the outer wall and practically flew up the stairs. He came to a sliding stop at the wall and looked out over the field to see a group of people making their way towards the fort. He couldn't see clearly from the distance but the color of the armor was enough to show Kamui it was Nohr. What happened to his brothers? And his sister? Did this mean that…

"Milord?" Kamui turned to his right to see Azura and Kaze standing next to him and he noticed that the men on the wall were looking to him for answers as well. He saw Sakura and her retainers as well. His sister was staring at him in fear while her retainers were both staring at him with judging eyes. Felicia was just staring at him hopefully. He took a deep breath and calmed himself. He had to stay strong! He was a leader now!

"Bar the gate! I want all archers and diviners on the wall now! I want a small portion of men to guard the keep and the wounded! Everyone else mass at the gate!" Kamui ordered, firmly. The men on the walls mobilized and he turned his attention to his companions.

"Sakura go to the keep with the wounded," Kamui commanded and Sakura's eyes widened.

"No! I want to stay here with y-"

"I don't want to hear it! I need you to be safe, I can't watch you this time!" Kamui commanded and Sakura looked like she was going to cry. Kamui placed his hand on her shoulder and pulled her into a hug.

"No tears, Sakura…you are a Princess of Hoshido, you need to be strong now ok?" Kamui said as he held his shaking little sister.

"B-But Onii-Chan, what if you need help?" Sakura sniffed and Kamui smiled at her.

"No one can stop your big brother, Imouto-Chan …" Kamui promised and then he turned to her retainers.

"Keep her safe, protect the wounded with your lives. Felicia go with them," Kamui commanded, both his sisters' retainers' looked surprised but they nodded. Subaki and Felicia took Sakura's arms gently and escorted her down the stairs but surprisingly Hana stayed behind.

"Where do you need me?" she asked and Kamui resisted the urge to smile, he didn't bother telling her to go with Sakura. He saw Sakura's sad gaze as she was dragged towards safety. He'd do what he could to make sure her friend got out of the fight alive.

"Go down to the gate with the rest of the samurai. Kaze, find Rinkah and bring her to me and send a message back to the capital that the enemy has engaged us," Kamui ordered and the two bowed before they ran off. Kamui pulled his helmet onto his head and tied it down as he turned towards Azura finally.

"I don't suppose you would be willing to head in with Sakura?" Kamui asked and Azura shook her head.

"I'm staying to fight," Azura promised and Kamui shook his head but he smiled at her. His heart warmed a little and he didn't bother shaking it off as he hugged the singer, making her flinch. His heart fluttered a little bit, similarly to that time in the gardens with Rinkah or the dance he shared with Hinoka.

"Thanks…" Kamui whispered as he pulled back to take in her blushing face. He smirked slightly before his face-hardened as he turned back towards the incoming army.

"Go down below with Hana and get a weapon while you're at it, you need one to fight," Kamui commanded, Azura just nodded and ran off to do as he ordered. Kamui turned back towards the incoming Nohrian army and he sucked in a breath when he noticed a familiar figure with short blond hair, wearing dark armor leading the charge.

"Leo…" Kamui whispered and as if the dark knight heard him, he looked right at him. The dark knight's iliac eyes glared right at his ruby ones and then he lifted his hand towards him and fired off a ball of his dark magic. Kamui slid behind one of the covers on the wall and grunted as the magic splashed past him.

"That wasn't very nice…so much for offering him a chance to walk away…" Kamui thought as he held his hand up to the archers. He dreaded what was going to happen but he made a promise. Leo wasn't willing to talk apparently and Kamui couldn't blame him exactly.

"All archers and diviners, prepare to fire!" Kamui commanded and all archers drew arrows and notched them while the diviners summoned up their magic. Kamui peaked out of his cover watched the army get closer and closer. The army was not very big; perhaps Leo's force was just a expeditionary one? Regardless he could see plenty of knights, mercenaries and mages but surprisingly no wyvern riders. He narrowed his eyes as he saw some of the mercenaries carrying ladders.

"Archers aim for the mercenaries carrying the ladders! Diviners, aim for the rear guards! Fire!" Kamui ordered as he dropped his hand. All archers and diviners stood up from their cover and began firing their arrows or magic into the enemy. Kamui saw the arrows and magic score hits on a number of the enemy. One of the crews carrying a ladder dropped immediately but the heavy knights covered the rest. The arrows all shattered against their heavy shields and armor like glass.

"Diviners aim for the knights!" Kamui ordered before he was forced to duck back into cover when an arrow struck the stone next to him. He coughed a bit as the dust kicked up from the arrow got into his face. He shook his head and peaked out again only to curse when he saw some of the ladders get into position to be lifted onto the walls. The diviners did what they could to blast the knights out of the way but there were just not enough of them!

"Need a hand?" Kamui turned with a smile to see Rinkah rush up the steps with a few samurai behind her.

"Just in time! Men, spread out on the wall! The enemy is about to use their siege ladders!" Kamui ordered. The men didn't even hesitate and ran off to various positions on the wall as Rinkah slid up next to him in cover.

"Looks like they're listening already!" Rinkah joked and Kamui just smiled before he grunted when the cover they were using on the wall exploded, sending them both onto the ground of the wall.

"Ladders!" Kamui shook his head as he lifted his face from the ground to look up. He saw a siege ladder land on the wall and a mercenary jumped onto the wall and hacked down an archer before a samurai engaged him. More mercenaries began piling onto the wall though and more ladders landed on the wall, pouring even more mercenaries onto the wall. Some of them engaged the samurai in the wall but others started running right towards the dragon prince.

"So be it…" Kamui pulled the cloth hidden under his undersuit at his neck over his mouth and nose before he pulled his mask from his belt and fixed it in place over his face and strapped it down. The mask barely obscured his view if at all. He drew Tsume-Yato from its sheath and leveled it with both hands at the approaching mercenaries. Rinkah hefted her club and stood next to him but he didn't turn his head to her and kept moving.

One of the mercenaries lunged at him and he easily deflected his strike with his sword before he slashed the man across his chest and followed it up with a beheading. Then he stepped to the side to dodge another sword before he kicked his attacked off the wall. He didn't even listen to his screams as he ducked under another sword and crashed his elbow into another mercenaries' face. Then he drove Tsume through his gut and shoulder tackled him, pulling his sword free. Kamui turned to his left quickly and thrust his sword out and his blade went right into the throat of another mercenary. Kamui watched through his mask as the mercenary started coughing out her own blood and then Kamui pulled his sword free and kicked her down from the wall.

"Rah!" Rinkah jumped over him and slammed her club down on one of the mercenaries. The man tried to raise his sword to block the strike but the sheer might of the Oni's swing seemed to just overpower him. Rinkah's club forced the man's sword down while also crashing into his head; Kamui winced as the man's head basically caved in, a red cloud being created almost. He pushed down his nerves though and charged forward.

Kamui sprung forward and booted another Nohrian down onto the ground before he ended him with a stab to the heart. Then he grabbed his sword in a reverse grip and yanked it out of the corpse, deflecting another sword at the same time. Kamui grabbed his attacker by their tunic and pulled them into a knee before he used their body as a board to flip over. He heard Rinkah smash her club into the man behind him as he hacked another Nohrian down.

"Now we're talking!" Rinkah shouted as she charged past him and knocked another Nohrian off the wall before she knocked one of the siege ladders off their wall. Kamui beheaded another mercenary that tried to attack Rinkah while she was working the ladder and he spared a glance on the rest of the wall to see that they were holding the Nohrians back at a relatively stable rate, if he was any judge. The archers and diviners had moved away from the brawl on the wall and had moved on to positions on the wall where they could continue to bombard the enemy outside.

"Kamui!" the dragon prince spared a glance over the wall, inwards and saw Hana and Kaze down below with Azura, who was holding a naginata. Around them all were what he assumed was the rest of the samurai and spears in the fort other than the ones guarding the wounded.

"Hana! Kaze! Take some of the men and get up here! We have to push them off the wall!" Kamui ordered before he turned just in time to block a sword from beheading him. He grunted as he forced the sword to the side and beheaded his attacker. Rinkah charged forward and tackled a man but she carried him and used him as a sort of battering ram to knock some of the other Nohrians off the wall until she reached the next ladder. Then she threw the man she was carrying off of the wall. Kamui threw Tsume right into the throat of another Norhian before he teleported to it and severed the head. Then he and Rinkah grabbed the ladder and pushed it off. They only had to knock two more ladders down and make sure they stayed down.

Then he caught sight of Leo with his hand outstretched towards him. He saw his hand glow and when a dark orb flew towards him the prince tackled Rinkah onto the ground and held himself over her protectively. He heard the magic impact the wall and he felt some rubble land on him but nothing that hurt. He got off of Rinkah after it passed.

"You alright?" Kamui asked as he helped RInkah up. The Oni didn't answer and looked a little embarrassed but otherwise she seemed fine.

"Lord Kamui!" the prince turned to see Kaze run up to him before another magic blast hit the wall. Kaze stumbled but easily caught himself before he came to a stop in front of the prince.

"Milord, we are slowly pushing the Nohrians from the wall. Our sentries also report that a friendly force is fast approaching from the same direction the enemy came from," Kaze explained and Kamui turned around to see that indeed their men were converging on the last ladders and he smiled a little when he saw Hana practically lead the charge. Then he turned back towards the fields and he caught the sight of the force Kaze mentioned. It wasn't big enough to completely trap Leo's army but it was enough to make a difference.

"How many sky knights do we have in total?" Kamui asked but before Kaze answered, Kamui heard something he really didn't want to hear.

"Onii-Chan!" Kamui flinched and his gaze turned skyward to see Subaki flying in on his Pegasus along with a number of other sky knights, about ten in total. They flew over the Nohrian army and a few of them began swooping down to pick some of them off but it was the person riding along with Subaki that caught Kamui's attention…it was Sakura. What in the world was she doing!?

"Sakura! What are you doing?!" Kamui shouted, he was annoyed that she disobeyed him but he was more worried about the Nohrian archers shooting them down! Right as he thought about it, arrows started flying at them, only one of the sky knights was shot down but Subaki was forced to dive down in order to dodge the arrows aimed at him. Unfortunately though he dove so hard that Sakura was surprised and she lost her grip and slipped off.

"She's falling!" Rinkah exclaimed, shocked.

"Lady Sakura!" Kaze shouted, aghast.

"Sakura!" Hana shrieked as the little princess fell towards the enemy. She wouldn't survive the fall and even if she did, she'd be right in the middle of the enemy.

"No!" Kamui sheathed his sword and leaped from the wall and called on his dragon form. His sister needed him! His dragonstone glowed around his neck and he transformed fully before he hit the ground and he immediately broke into a fast flight to catch his falling sister. His sister caught sight of him and reached out to him and he flew under her and caught her on his back. Sakura wrapped her arms around his neck just in time since he ended up skimming the ground and coming to a rather rough landing.

The Nohrians were all surprised, not every day they see a person turn into a dragon and land right in the between them. Of course they didn't stay awestruck for too long before they realized that Kamui was an enemy. They all raised their weapons towards them and Kamui roared at them, viciously. They all flinched away from him and he reared back. He took a breath and released a breath of fire at them.

"Ahhh!" Kamui ignored the cries of agony as he burned them. He hoped Sakura was smart enough to bury her head into his back if she didn't want to see.

The dragon prince used his tail to swat away a brave Nohrian who tried to stab him. Then he slashed out with his claws, ripping another man to red shreds. He grunted in annoyance when he felt something clang against his scales and he glared at the knight who did it before he chomped him with his jaws, biting through the armor and crushing it like it was paper with the man inside it. The taste of blood was bitter and the prince hated it but he ignored it as best he could. He tossed the man away in two halves before he let loose another breath of fire on the Nohrians around him. He caught sight of Leo threw the flames and smoke. The dark knight was staring at him in surprise and he raised his hand towards him but then he suddenly turned to the side and Kamui followed his gaze to see the gates of Jinya opening.

"For Hoshido!" Hana was the first one that charged outside, Rinkah, Kaze and Azura followed shortly along with a number of samurai and spears who all let out a war cry of their own. The sky knights were also still attacking but now they had renewed vigor. Kamui also noted the allied army approaching was close.

"Now what will you do, Leo?" Kamui thought as he watched his little brother contemplate what to do. His eyes narrowed and his hand clenched tightly before he raised it…at Rinkah who were trying to fight her way towards Kamui. He also noted Hana and Azura were right behind her. Kamui's anger reached a boiling point.

"Bastard!" Kamui let out another dragonic roar as he charged forward. He bowled over or just crushed any Nohrian who got in his way; their weapons did little against his hard scales as he plowed right through. He was cautious of Sakura and was careful not to hit someone on his side but other than that he didn't stop. He came to a sudden stop in front of his friends and absorbed the magic blast into his side. It stung but Kamui felt more angry than hurt. He glared right at Leo who seemed surprised and Kamui sucked in a breath but when he let it out, fire didn't exit. A sphere made of energy fired from his mouth and flew at Leo at a rather fast rate. Leo was knocked clean off his horse by the blast and Kamui laughed a little inside his mind.

Leo got back onto his feet and he did not look happy whatsoever. He raised his hand towards him again but before he did anything a soldier grabbed him and told him something Kamui couldn't hear. Leo flinched and turned towards the field and Kamui turned to see the allied army from earlier was almost right on top of them. Kamui looked over the battle and was pleased to see that despite being outnumbered and perhaps inexperienced, his forces were pushing the Nohrians back. If Leo stayed, he would be caught in a pincer and also in the sights of a very angry dragon.

"Don't…" Kamui thought as Leo glared at him. Thankfully the dark knight sighed before he turned to his soldier and said something before he climbed back on his horse. He glared at Kamui one last time before he snapped his horse's reins and he ran off away from the battle. There was a horn that sounded immediately after his departure and Kamui assumed that it was the signal to retreat since the rest of the Nohrian army began pulling away from the fight and ran away. The archers and diviners took a few shots at the fleeing enemy but the people fighting on the field gave no chase. Kamui didn't know whether to feel elated or depressed since on one hand he won but he fought against one of his siblings…

"Victory!" someone shouted and various amount of cheers ran throughout the army from the people on the field to the ones on in the fort. Kamui even saw Azura raise her bloodied spear into the air as a sign of cheer. Kaze just had a smile on his face and otherwise stayed silent and unmoving as everyone around them cheered. Hana and Rinkah were letting out loud cheers as they raised their weapons in the air, specifically towards Kamui, who felt more than a little touched by the gesture. They did it…they won, Kamui felt a little excited about that. He didn't like death but it was his first victory, his first real victory as a Prince of Hoshido…he lifted his head to the air and let out a loud roar of victory, which seemed to resonate positively amongst his troops since they cheered louder.

"We did it…" Kamui thought as he shook a little to wake up his passenger. Sakura lifted herself off of his back and jumped off and he turned towards her as she played with her dress a little guiltily. Hana embraced the small redhead quickly.

"Lady Sakura I was so worried!" Hana exclaimed as she hugged the princess tightly. Kamui saw Subaki land his Pegasus and dismount quickly. Hana let go of the princess when her fellow retainer came up.

"Subaki you idiot! You dropped her!" Hana chided and Subaki's head dropped a little as the smaller girl chided him.

"Don't get mad at him! I told him to take me up!" Sakura intervened as she worked herself in between her retainers and pushed them apart. Kamui sighed as he reverted back to his human form with a flash of golden light and he removed his mask from his helmet and pulled the cloth down from his face. He sighed as he wiped the sweat from his face as he approached the group. Azura tried to step in his way but he gave her a glance that told her to back down.

"Sakura…" Kamui called when he was right behind her. The little healer flinched and turned around slowly until she came face to face with him.

"Onii-Chan…I'm sorry, I di-ah!" Kamui pulled her into a hug right away, surprising her.

"Baka…I was so scared, I thought I was going to lose you…" Kamui whispered and Sakura wrapped her arms around him tightly. He already lost so much, he didn't want to lose anymore. He didn't want to watch his little sister die…not like their mother. His heart was already broken, he didn't know if he could take losing someone else so soon.

"I-I'm sorry, Onii-Chan, I just wanted to help!" Sakura sniffed slightly and Kamui kissed the top of her head as he held her soothingly and protectively.

"I know…but you have to understand I just wanted you to be safe…" Kamui whispered and Sakura just squeezed him tighter. He pulled Sakura back a bit and placed his hands on her shoulders gently and gave her a small shake.

"I'm not mad ok, I know your heart was in the right place…" Kamui promised and Sakura smiled at him and then Kamui flicked her forehead gently, making her yelp.

"But since you scared me half to death, your pastry privileges are revoked for…about a week!" Kamui chided and Sakura gaped before she broke into one of the cutest pouts he ever saw.

"Onii-Chan! That's not fair!" Sakura complained and Kamui chuckled and shook his head. He saw Hana and Subakai smile at him and he was about to talk to them but something caught his attention.

"Milord!" Kamui turned away from his sister when he heard Kaze's call. It sounded urgent and it immediately put him on edge. The prince turned around to see Kaze approach with two other people behind him. One of them was the ninja from the canyon, Saizo. The other one was a young woman dressed in the garb of a Diviner. She had long purple hair done up in an elaborate braid that Kamui couldn't name. She had pretty purple eyes and she probably would have been prettier if she was smiling but she looked more distraught than anything.

"What's wrong?" Kamui asked. Saizo and the woman next to him knelt before Kamui while Kaze stood back a few steps. Before Kamui could say anything though, Sakura beat him to it.

"Saizo? Orochi? Why are you here? Shouldn't you be with…Ryoma and Takumi?" Sakura's voice grew more panicked as she finished her sentence. Kamui's eyes widened and he looked down at the two before him.

"Why are you here? Do you have a message from my brothers?" Kamui asked, daring to hope it wasn't as bad as his sister made it sound. Azura and Rinkah moved up as well, eager to hear the news. The entire army went silent actually.

"…Lord…Kamui, my men and I have come from the front but we did not part from Lord Ryoma and Lord Takumi by choice…" Saizo spoke gravely and Kamui felt the temperature around him drop sharply. He could feel Sakura grab his hand tightly and he squeezed her hand back reassuringly.

"What happened?" Kamui asked. Saizo and Orochi shared a look before they both turned towards him.

"We were pressing the attack on Nohr…we managed to push in through their lines and enter Nohr…only to realize we had been trapped. We walked right into an ambush by a massive army led by the Crown Prince of Nohr. Our Lord sent us to scout a route back to Hoshido but we were suddenly cut off from the rest of the force before we could report back. We had no choice but to flee back here…to Hoshido," Saizo explained grimly and Kamui fought the urge to freeze up.

"What about my brothers?" Kamui asked as he squeezed Sakura's hand reassuringly. This time it was Orochi that answered.

"We…don't know, Milord. We were not able to get through at all…the force that came between us was too large. We're almost certain that they were trying to surround Lord Ryoma and Lord Takumi. The army was being led by the Princess of Nohr…the one that rides a wyvern," the diviner answered. So Camilla and Xander had lured Ryoma and Takumi into a trap. Kamui did not expect his day to turn out that way. First they were attacked without notice and now this…

"Are you saying my brothers are trapped?" Kamui asked, keeping his voice calm. Saizo looked up at him this time and Kamui could see what he thought was regret in his one good eye.

"We're saying that they are probably…dead Milord…"

* * *

 **Sorry but I have to end it there as much as I hate cliffhangers myself.**


	16. Get up

I don't own Fire Emblem

 **Hey everyone I hope you guys are enjoying yourselves here still! Here's another chapter to set things up for a while.**

 **I want to clear something up since I don't think I made it clear enough. The twins are not Nohr Noble or Hoshido Noble. I know I made Corrin sound like she is, but she's actually a knight, while Kamui is a samurai.**

 **Also if you noticed the new cover image, Consort, one of my reviewers, did it.**

 **Enjoy the chapter and let me know what you guys think!**

Chapter 15: Get up

* * *

 **Kamui's POV**

"Shh…shh…it's ok Sakura…" Kamui soothed as he held his tearful little sister in his arms comfortingly. She had been in tears for some time now and Kamui didn't have the heart to try and chide her like he did at Jinya. He had spent enough time consoling Corrin and Elsie in the past to know when someone just had to let it out. This was not a time to hold your feelings in…Kamui wished he could take his own advice. He wanted to have another breakdown but he knew he couldn't this time.

They were at Shirasagi castle again; Kamui did not expect to be back there so soon or with such grave news. After hearing the…news about his brothers, Kamui ordered Saizo's men to protect Fort Jinya while they went back to the capital to talk with Yukimura and whoever was left. Kamui had to console a crying and wailing Sakura the whole way back while trying not to have his own breakdown. Hana and Subaki tried to help console the princess but her heart was broken. It was a sick joke, Kamui just won his first victory against the Nohrians and he won the respect of his men. Now his brother's were missing…

They were standing in a large room; Kamui assumed it was the room where they discussed the strategy of the war…a meeting he wasn't invited to he might add. The room was big, easily capable of fitting a couple dozen men and it had a rather large table and map set in the middle of it. It wasn't just him or his sister though; Azura, Rinkah and Sakura's retainers were present. Saizo and Kaze were present as well, more watchers than anything though. Orochi the diviner had opted to sit out of the meeting since she was tending to some wounds she received while they were trying to find Kamui's group. No one really felt like talking, the only sounds in the room were the sobs and wails of Sakura and Kamui's quiet sooths. He sent Felicia off to prepare Sakura's room for her and a bath, he even asked her to get a bunch of comfort food ready, he doubted it would help but he had to try.

"How long until Yukimura and the others arrive?" Kamui asked as he turned towards Saizo.

"Many of the Generals and Nobles are out in the Kingdom fighting already. There are very few left in the capital aside from Yukimura…he should be coming soon…" Saizo informed. Kamui felt uncomfortable around the ninja, he was always watching him like he was expecting him to turn into a monster at any second. Plus there was also the fact that he tried to kill him…perhaps it was understandable. He wanted to ask where his partner was but he avoided it since he didn't feel like talking to him more than he needed to.

"Still though, you would think they'd get here faster given the state of things. Two of the royal family are missing, one of them is the High Prince, their king," Rinkah mentioned and Sakura gasped slightly and Kamui flinched and quickly tried to calm her down again, shooting a small glare at the Oni who backed up slightly at his gaze. Before anything else could happen, the sliding doors opened and Yukimura walked in…alone.

"I'm sorry I took so long, I was on the other side of the city when I received word that another meeting had been called. And…I was trying to get the rest of the nobles to attend," Yukimura bowed slightly as he spoke and Kamui felt a little irked at the information.

"Where are they?" Kamui asked tensely as he handed Sakura off to Hana to take over consoling her. Yukimura seemed uncomfortable and Kamui groaned in annoyance.

"They refused my call didn't they?" Kamui asked as he leaned against on the table. He could almost feel his blood boiling in his veins, were those fools really that stuck up?

"I am sorry Lord Kamui…they…they don't recognize you as the High Prince in Lord Ryoma's absence," Yukimura explained and a loud crunch followed his sentence and everyone around Kamui flinched. The prince looked down and saw that he had crushed the parts of the table his hands were on. He sighed and stood up straight.

"I assume those fools won't give me their men either?" Kamui asked and Yukimura nodded.

"Fools! This is the last thing we need them to do, this is a war!" Rinkah shouted as she slammed her hand onto the table.

"We need men to defend the Capital regardless…" Kamui sighed as he shook his head. He really wanted to be as angry as Rinkah but he knew that wouldn't get him anywhere, he was the leader, he couldn't afford to just lose his temper like a child.

"Fine…so how are things looking now?" Kamui asked Yukimura. The mechanist stepped up to the map and pointed down at the mountain pass that Fort Jinya resided in.

"We have moved more men to Fort Jinya since it is a chokepoint between the enemy and our city. Most of the Generals are already out fighting battles across the continent. We are winning most battles but unfortunately the Nohrians have isolated most of them. They are holding but it can only last so long, regardless I believe the Nohrian strategy was to lure most of our strength out into the rest of the kingdom and isolate it from the capital. Unfortunately we walked right into their trap," Yukimura explained and Kamui nodded. He could see his brother's handiwork all over this; Xander and Leo were always very clever with their plans. Kamui always preferred more direct tactics but he could see the merit in being clever.

"I do not wish to make this more dire but; one of the nobles, Lord Kojiro has started to…make moves to secure power from other nobles," Yukimura explained, grimly. Many of the other people in the room flinched at the words.

"I assume he's important?" Kamui summarized, already knowing it was worse than it sounded.

"Lord Kojiro is one of the Daimyo's of Hoshido. He's one of our most powerful warriors and one of our most gifted generals. He's well respected and honorable but he's a bit…" Yukimura struggled to find the words.

"Unrelenting? Bloodthirsty? Uncompromising?" Rinkah offered and Yukimura sighed but didn't refute her.

"Sounds like someone we need," Kamui commented, which actually got a chuckle out of Saizo of all people.

"Indeed, we do need him and his men if we are going to have a chance of making a dent in this invasion. He's one of the lords who still have all their men. We won't find many warriors or leaders like him. Though recruiting him will be an…issue," Saizo explained and Kamui crossed his arms.

"An issue how? I sense this isn't the first time he's raised problems," Kamui saw the reactions of everyone in the room and took that as confirmation for his suspicions.

"Lord Kojiro is a proud man and as such…he won't follow someone he believes is beneath him. He does not sacrifice his men for someone he believes is weak. He had some issues with your father, the Late King Sumeragi and Late Queen Mikoto. Of course as you can imagine they won his allegiance, one through the blade and the other through words and steadfast loyalty," Yukimura explained and Kamui nodded in understanding.

"I'm assuming that since my mother is gone he's looking at us to see if we're worth anything," Kamui sighed, things were really not looking good.

"Yes, he has pulled all the lords under his banner back to him to wait and see what happens. I think he would have thrown his men in if we still had Lord Ryoma, he approved of him. Except now…well…" Kamui nodded again, accepting Yukimura's explanation. He noticed that Hana looked a bit conflicted for some reason but when she noticed his gaze she turned away quickly.

"Hm…" Kamui closed his eyes and rubbed his temples to try and clear his mind. This was troubling but he had other things to worry about.

"We leave him for now. We have to get things under control before we bring him under our heel. Unless he's in open rebellion we leave it," Kamui commanded and everyone nodded, whether they agreed or not.

"Has there been any news on Hinoka's whereabouts?" Kamui asked, he heard Sakura break into a fit again but he needed to ask the question. The mechanist shook his head though and Kamui cursed in his mind.

"Our scouts last spotted her breaking into Nohr from the north. We have not seen her or heard from her since. The plan for her to meet up with Lord Ryoma and Takumi in Nohr but from what Saizo has informed us…we do not know whether or not the plan is still viable," Yukimura explained thoroughly and Kamui's heart froze a little. The image of his big sister flashed through his mind, the idea that she was lost too was…unbearable. He just got his family back and now they were being ripped away from him, was he being punished for some crime he committed?

"We need to get help…" Kamui said tensely and Yukimura nodded.

"What help is there? We already sent most of our men out into the field and the ones we have left won't answer because their lords won't listen to Lord Kamui!" Hana exclaimed. Kamui groaned and he felt Azura place her hand on his shoulder comfortingly and he gave her a small smile before he turned back to the map. His eyes trailed towards some mountains to the west and his eyes widened when he saw a label naming the are Flame Tribe. Rinkah's tribe…

"Rinkah, could we ask your tribe for help?" Kamui asked. Rinkah was surprised by that question but before she answered, Yukimura interrupted.

"I'm afraid we already tried that Milord. We sent out a call to all of our allies in Hoshido but none of them have accepted. The ones that answered said that they would not incur the wrath of King Garon. Queen Mikoto's death has shaken them," Yukimura explained and Kamui frowned and his fists tightened.

Was this really it? They just lose? He looked around the room at everyone. Kaze and Saizo were stoic as usual but they were both looking to him expectantly. Yukimura just looked lost and frustrated. Rinkah was basically fuming, probably angry that her own clan had abandoned the pact they mad. Sakura was still crying and while her sobs had died down a little, she was still out of it. Hana and Subaki were trying to comfort her best they could but the pressure in the room was getting to them too. Even Azura who tended to be more calm and collected, looked very troubled and her grip on his shoulder tightened a bit. Kamui's eyes hardened as his resolve flared. He had to try, he didn't fight so hard just to give up and die without even attempting!

"How many clans swore to help Hoshido in it's time of need?" Kamui asked. If the lords couldn't be asked, they would ask the clans. Yukimura looked up in surprise before he answered him.

"There are many small clans and a few that are very large. If we could get the larger clans to side with us, the smaller ones will probably be more willing to flock to us again. The Daimyo's have already expended a bit of their men on Lord Ryoma's attack. They will likely come in behind you if we can manage to get Lord Kojiro's allegiance and that likely won't happen until we can get the clans behind us," Yukimura explained.

"But they already refused, I doubt they'll rethink their decision now that three of the royal family are missing," Hana reminded him and Kamui nodded.

"We're just going to have to prove to them that we are worth fighting for. They're afraid; we're just going to help them find their courage again," Kamui explained.

"My clan does respect signs of strength…they could be more or less convinced to follow you," Rinkah trailed off and Kamui turned towards her.

"What kind of strength?" Kamui asked and Rinkah smirked slightly and patted his shoulder.

"This kind, the fighting kind. My clan is a little wary of outsiders but they won't turn away the High Prince of Hoshido, especially one who wields great strength. Still though, I would advise we get one of the larger clans to follow us first before we go to my clan. It will be a lot smoother and faster," Rinkah mentioned and her cheeks tinted red, Kamui wondered why but he put it aside.

"That would work out for the best actually. The Wind Tribe to the North is actually the closest, the Chief was also a good friend of King Sumeragi," Yukimura explained. Kamui frowned at that knowledge, why did the man refuse to help Hoshido in their hour of need then? Was King Garon's power that terrifying to the rest of Hoshido?

"Are there any other clans we need to worry about?" Kamui asked, he'd deal with the issues when they were present.

"The only other two big groups we would need to worry about are the Ninjas of Mokushu and the Kitsune in the southern mountain pass, near Fort Jinya," Yukimura explained.

"Kagero was sent to Mokushu, we haven't received word from her though. Lord Ryoma wanted to get the ninjas on our side, I fear things have turned for the worst though," Saizo cut in and Kamui frowned, so that was where the female ninja was.

"Mokushu is a smaller nation to the south of the border, they're supposed to be a neutral kingdom though," Azura commented and Saizo shook his head.

"That's merely a guise for their malicious intent. Kagero's disappearance only confirms that. I believe we will need to journey there eventually, to put them under our heels more than get them on our side," Saizo said and Kamui was surprised by the sheer passion in his voice, he thought he was quiet and reserved like Kaze.

"Even then, the Mokushu are more out of the way than any of the other clans, we need to focus on the ones close to us first," Yukimura interrupted and Saizo backed off, returning to a stoic look. Kaze was looking at him worriedly and Kamui wondered what was going on, there just seemed to be more to every story he heard.

"What about the Kitsune? The map says they're even closer than the Wind Tribe," Kamui asked and Yukimura shook his head. Kitsune…they were supposed to be like giant fox demons, at least that's what the stories say. Kamui never believed it before but now he could turn into a dragon and he wielded the Key to Peace, at least half of it. A race of people that could turn into giant foxes didn't sound unbelievable anymore.

"Unfortunately they don't like humans…whether they be Hoshidian or Nohrian. We use this to our advantage though since they won't let Nohr through their territory either. That's why all Nohr can do is throw themselves at Fort Jinya," Yukimura explained and Kamui nodded in understanding.

"Very well, I guess the plan for now will be that we go to the Wind Tribe first and gain their allegiance again. Then we'll go the Fire Tribe. If Kagero doesn't turn up by then we'll go to Mokushu and see what is happening there," Kamui summarized and no one refuted the plan.

"Send out a call to the men. If the Lords will not answer then we will ask their men. Ask for any men and women that wish to follow us on our journey. We will leave in three days," Kamui finalized.

 **Later**

Kamui stood silently in the throne room, at Shirasagi Castle. Night had fallen already and the torches in the room were not lit. The prince stood in darkness with his arms crossed as he stared at the throne. The only light in the room came from the moonlight that shined through the windows above. The light, making it look like they were glowing, illuminated the golden throne and Kamui's armor. The prince stood stoically, the only thing moving was his chest as he took breaths.

"I don't know what to do, Mom…" Kamui spoke, his voice was weak and soft. He held strong the whole journey back to the capital and during the meeting as well. He needed to be strong for his sister and he had to keep up an image for his troops. It wasn't until a few hours ago that Kamui set his still crying sister to bed that he was able to find some private time for himself…everyone left him alone, they probably knew that he wanted to mourn in peace. Even Yukimura and Saizo decided it was best to at least leave him be for the time. He had not even seen Azura or Rinkah since the meeting.

"What the hell am I supposed to do now?" Kamui asked, tears falling from his eyes. Was this supposed to be his punishment? Were the gods punishing him for betraying the Nohr? Were they really that cruel?

"I'm not like you, Mom…I'm not like Dad…I'm not like Ryoma…I'm no ruler…" Kamui sniffed as he let his tears drop freely. Kamui wasn't stupid, Ryoma was missing, Takumi was missing and apparently Hinoka was nowhere to be found. Kamui dared not hope otherwise he would feel worse if he were wrong again. Even then the absence of his two elder siblings was enough to mean that Kamui was the heir to the throne of Hoshido. He already had to make a decision.

Was he going to shy away from his duty? Of course not! He made a promise in front of everyone that he would fight to his last breath for Hoshido. But he didn't know how to rule, sure he had an idea but he was never groomed for it. He was groomed to be a warrior, a commander, not a ruler. In Nohr he was a middle child, sure he was considered part of the older group but there was still two people in front of him. The same applied to Hoshido but…he never imagined something like this could happen, that both the people in front of him could be taken out. Now he found himself saddled with the responsibility of leading a kingdom in a losing war. Gods what was he going to do?

"I need your help, Mom…Dad…what am I supposed to do?" Kamui asked as he clenched his hands. Was this a curse set on him? Did he bring death with him wherever he went?

"I have no idea what I'm even supposed to do…" Kamui wiped his eyes as he walked up the steps to the throne. He placed his hand on the golden throne but he didn't sit, it felt wrong. If he was to be king he wanted his family and friends to see it! He didn't want the throne like this! Losing Takumi, Ryoma and Hinoka while he had to fight Xander and the others!

"It's difficult isn't it? When the Queen died, I felt pain unlike anything…I can only imagine how bad it was for you or how much worse it feels now…" Kamui flinched and turned around. How did someone sneak up on him? Even if he were distracted he would have heard the throne room doors. He saw Yukimura standing there and with more observation he saw that he came from the door to the side…the door that led to the late queen's room…

"Yukimura…" Kamui didn't bother hiding the depression in his voice. He retracted his hand from the throne and stepped down from the steps. The Mechanist gave him a small smile and approached him.

"Your mother always spoke of you and your sister, she missed you every day you were gone. She mourned your father every day but I suppose she always knew that you and your sister were always alive, that was why she was always sad. Even when she seemed happy, I think she was always thinking of you and the late king…you remind me of her, very much," Yukimura said as he placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Really?" Kamui asked. Yukimura nodded and removed his hand before he nodded towards the throne.

"Your mother was only a year or two older than you when we lost King Sumeragi. She had a lot to prove to everyone since she was only Queen by marriage. She often spent time alone in this room, staring at that throne much like you were. She kept up a strong front in public but when she wasn't she grieved just like you are now. The Queen had a distinct distaste for violence but she was always willing to do whatever it took to protect her people and her family. It wasn't too long before the people began not just to believe in her but love her as well," Yukimura explained and Kamui frowned.

"I'm not my mother though…" Kamui sighed and Yukimura nodded.

"Your mother was one of a kind but so are you. The Queen was proud of the person you had become, even after so many years in Nohr your light had not been corrupted at all. She would no doubt be sad to see that you and your sister are separated but she would be proud to see what you are becoming," Yukimura explained and while it did lift his spirits, Kamui still felt down.

"What am I turning into then?" Kamui asked. Yukimura pointed at the throne and smiled.

"You are becoming a King…" Yukimura announced and Kamui's eyes widened. The mechanist gave him a bow and then he turned towards the doors of the throne room. Kamui was silent as the man walked up to the doors and it wasn't until they opened that he looked up.

"Yukimura!" Kamui called and the mechanist stopped and turned his head towards him. Kamui hesitated but he felt like he should say it, the pain in his eyes was not lost on Kamui. He knew enough to understand what was probably going through the man's mind.

"Thank you…for loving my mother…" Kamui saw the man flinch and the prince just nodded.

"I…I think I can tell when a person is in love, especially when they are so upfront with it…thank you for being there for my mother…to the end…" Kamui continued. Yukimura just stood there for a few minutes before he smiled.

"It was my pleasure. Do me and your poor mother a favor…don't take the ones you care for, for granted. I…I think that she felt that way about your father when he passed. Also do act on your feelings, fast. We are at war, none of us know if the next day will be our last. I doubt you will have the luxury to properly court anyone…have a pleasant night…" Yukimura bowed again but before he left, he paused and pulled something out of his belt. He turned back towards him and held it out towards him.

"What's that?" Kamui asked as he stepped forward. Yukimura was holding a small box in his hand, something easy to carry around. It was relatively simple in design but Kamui assumed whatever was inside, was far more valuable. He picked the box up and he was about to open it before Yukimura placed his hand over it.

"She said you were to open it when you felt like you need a reminder of what you have…but now I think you should open it when you feel like you've found something or someone truly worth dying for…it's a…gift that your mother wanted me to give you if you ever stumbled on your path. She always said that but after you left for the square on that day…she said she wanted you to find something for yourself instead. She believed what you need is something to hold close…I doubt I'll be around to see it though so I'll just have to settle for this and trust you," Yukimura explained and Kamui's eyes widened. A gift from his mother?

"I…Thank you Yukimura," Kamui said gratefully as he pocketed the box. The mechanist bowed again and this time he left without any sound but his footsteps.

Those words struck the now High Prince of Hoshido. He never took his family for granted; he was there whenever he could be. He knew Sakura was going to need him more than ever now, with Ryoma, Takumi and Hinoka missing. It was the last part that really got Kamui thinking though. Act on his feelings? He was implying that he was in love with someone. Rinkah and Azura popped into his head and his cheeks flushed in embarrassment. He recalled how Rinkah shamelessly flirted with him or teased him was the better way to say it. Then there was the...nice image Azura showed him and the mornings and nights he spent with her...

He wondered if that box he was given had what he thought was in there…Yukimura did say that he should open it if when he finds something worth dying for. Technically he had that now but…perhaps he meant it in a different sense. Kamui blushed as he recalled his mother fretting over his love life, perhaps that was the original intention. She seemed really adamant about pushing him towards it. He played it off before but now; perhaps there was something more to it than just a mother's desire…

Kamui was no fool, especially if something like THAT was thrown at him. He was sure that Rinkah was not interested in him in the romantic sense but more as a warrior. In fact, he had an idea of where Rinkah's romantic interest might lie. Nothing concrete but he had a hypothesis.

It was Azura he was sure had an interest in him, in the romantic sense or at least an attraction; hard not to think that now. He didn't know if she was trying to be subtle or not but the signs were there. He could see the difference between teasing and actual interest. Spending so much time around Camilla tended to help with that. Plus well…he was used to seeing Corrin and Leo subtly court even if they didn't notice it themselves. Then there was Camilla herself…he…no…just another thing Kamui had to shut out of his life. He had to look to his future now not the past…

Easier said than done of course. Camilla was a huge influence on his life; most of his happy memories involved her in some way. She gave the dragon stone around his neck to him only a year ago as a present! He couldn't even look at it without thinking about Camilla at least a little bit! Sigh…there was no denying he had a romantic interest in Camilla now, no point in thinking different. Especially now that war was on his mind. He supposed it made sense…she had been watching over him for more than ten years and there was that time they shared a dance at Cykensia. She was there for him whenever he needed her…except for now. He supposed that applied to him as well now. He recalled how sad she looked as she waved goodbye to him, perhaps she was saying goodbye to more than just him. And now they were enemies…

Then there was Elise…his little ray of sunshine had said three certain words to him when he made his choice. It was out of desperation obviously but at the same time, it had to mean they were true right? Camilla had mentioned to him that Elise was showing a different interest in him. Perhaps his feelings of protecting her made him blind to it. He didn't know what to make of her feelings though, especially now. She never actually refuted him herself but she didn't chase after him. Gods, he didn't know if he could even lift his sword against her!

They were at war; did he really have time for romance? He felt something but the problem was that he was still carrying baggage and his felt something for more than one woman in his life. Except only one of them believed in him currently…was it that simple? Then again…Yukimura did just tell him that he shouldn't stall if he actually felt something.

Azura was definitely attractive, kind and even playful given the opportunity and patience. Kamui enjoyed spending time with her, quite a lot actually. Except that was where the problem lay…he felt something for her, at least he thought so but there were others that he felt something for. Camilla was holding him back and there was also Elise…Why was love so confusing? He had a war to fight! The prince felt like he'd done enough soul searching for one night…he needed to sleep.

"I suppose I should get back…before someone thinks I was kidnapped again…" Kamui sighed as he exited the throne room, he couldn't even laugh at his own joke. He closed the doors behind him as quietly as he could and sighed. He started his trek back towards his room, there were no guards in the halls, he stationed them all near Sakura's room along with her retainers. Felicia and Kaze were around them as well by his orders. He thought about asking Saizo as well but… Lord knew that poor girl needed all the comfort she could get, Kamui was expecting her to have a nightmare actually.

"I should get back before Sakura wakes up…" Kamui thought as he sped up his walking speed, they had to set out the next day and Kamui wanted to make sure his sister at least tried to get sufficient rest. Before he got too far though, he heard a familiar voice.

 _"I will remember you but will you remember me…"_ Kamui recognized that voice anywhere. He turned towards the garden and opened one of the sliding doors to peer through. The garden was bathed in the light of the moon but it was the person standing near the small pond that had Kamui's attention.

 _"Don't let your life pass you by…"_ Azura singing in front of the pond again and Kamui sighed sadly and he was about to turn away but he hesitated.

"Don't take the ones you love for granted…" Yukimura's words rang through his head again and he sighed before he stepped out into the garden and closed the door behind him. He walked towards the pond slowly, listening to Azura's song. She was dancing as well but her movements were a little more sluggish compared to how she usually danced. She sounded…sad, of course she was sad though, Kamui chided himself for thinking she wouldn't be. Ryoma and the others were her family too. Azura didn't notice him as he got closer, too entranced in her own actions.

 _"I'm so afraid to love you…But more afraid to lose…"_ Kamui's eyes widened when Azura fell to her knees and her shaking body told him that she was crying. He picked up his pace and as he got closer he could hear her quiet sobs.

"Azura…" Kamui knelt down next to her and wrapped his arms around her. Azura flinched at the contact but she didn't push him away, she didn't hug him either though. He stroked her soft cerulean locks gently and rubbed her back soothingly as she cried. How long had she been in pain? Better question was, did he really not notice or was Azura just that good at hiding it?

"I…I'm sorry you have to see me like this, Kamui…" Azura sniffed as she tried to push him away but Kamui held tight and refused to let her push him away.

"Don't be, it's only natural to feel this way. I would be worried if you weren't," Kamui soothed, he smoothed out some of her hair as he held her securely against him.

"Kamui…" Azura wrapped her arms around the prince finally and clutched onto him tightly. Kamui held her gently as she sobbed quietly, only wondering how everything went to hell so fast.

"I'm so sorry Kamui…" Azura pulled back a bit so she could stare up at him. Her yellow eyes were puffy and tears still fell from them, yet she still looked beautiful. Kamui never wanted to see her this upset again though, it made his heart feel heavier.

"What do you have to be sorry about? You did nothing to me," Kamui refused her apology, but Azura shook her head.

"No! I do…I…I stole your family's love from you…" Azura explained sadly as he head tilted down and Kamui's tilted his head in confusion. What was that supposed to mean? Wait…was she really thinking that…was she trying to take the blame for… NO idiot! Kamui wouldn't have it!

"Don't say that ever again!" Kamui chided as he lifted her head back up by her chin to look up at him. Her eyes were wide in shock as Kamui gave her a glare.

"It was never your fault that I was taken from Hoshido, it was Garon's. Don't you dare blame yourself for anything having to do with our places! Ryoma and Hinoka loved you as their own family, don't you dare disgrace them by trying to push it off! Don't you dare spit on my mother's memory!" Azura flinched at his declaration.

"I…Kamui I- I didn't-" Kamui wouldn't hear any of it.

"They loved you as their own, I could see it and I know you know it…don't feel guilty for that," Kamui pressed and Azura stared at him for a few moments in shock. The prince's face softened though after a few moments as Azura didn't respond.

"Please, Azura…you're not the only one in pain. There's nothing wrong with that but don't regret what you were given. Trust me on that…" Kamui sighed and Azura frowned as she leaned up and hugged him, this time she placed her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Kamui…how long have you had to shoulder so much for everyone? How do you do it? How do you remain strong through it all?" Azura asked as one of her hands toyed a little with his hair. Kamui ignored the tingly feeling since the subject was depressing.

"Well, to be honest I don't know. Perhaps I just did it because I was the only one who could. I had Corrin and two other younger siblings to take care of after all," Kamui recalled as he readjusted so he could sit instead of kneel. Azura adjusted with him so she was still holding him and she basically put herself on his lap. Kamui blushed slightly at the contact, the only one who did that to him was Elise and even then, those times were rare.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that…you don't deserve all this hardship…" Azura mumbled as she leaned on his shoulder again. Kamui deadpanned and flicked her head, making her yelp rather cutely and he smiled when he saw her cheeks tint pink.

"What did I say about apologizing for things that you had no power over?" Kamui asked and Azura huffed slightly but he saw her smile ever so slightly. At least she had stopped crying, he succeeded on that front. They sat in silence like that for a few more minutes, Kamui continued to hold her and she just rested against him like he was a human pillow/bed.

"What was it like?" Azura asked suddenly.

"What was what like?" Kamui asked. Azura moved off of his lap and sat next to him but she still leaned herself on his shoulder and Kamui didn't bother trying to scoot away since he enjoyed it.

"Nohr, what was it like living in Nohr?" Azura asked and Kamui flinched slightly before he turned to her in shock.

"I-What brought this on?" Kamui asked, shakily. Azura frowned and he felt her hold on his arm tighten slightly.

"I…I'm curious about how your experience in Nohr compared to mine…" Azura explained and Kamui nodded in understanding. He supposed it made sense, though he had to wonder why she waited until then to ask him. Actually never mind, he had an idea…

"If you don't want to talk about it, I won't press the issue I-" Kamui placed one of his fingers on her lips, making her pause and blush slightly. He chuckled as he stood up and stepped towards the pond until he was only one step away from going into the water. He took in the sight of the moonlight shining off of the calm pond.

"I think it's best that I explain my story to someone, especially someone I trust. I lived in a fortress for the longest time, there were few times I was taken out but those were rare and I barely remember them. It was always dark where I lived, the sun barely showed itself. It was up but there was usually a large layer of clouds in the way, giving the place an almost…twilight look the whole time. I didn't like it. It always reminded me of my own imprisonment. My sister loved it though…heh… She was always such a sleepy head so she appreciated the lack of bright light…" Kamui recalled and explained some of the first thoughts off the top off his head. It depressed him a little to think about his twin but at the same time he felt happy.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that…" Kamui gave Azura a small glare but he sighed and shook his head. Quirks like that were seldom broken in a single night. He'd have to keep working at it as time went on.

"It wasn't all bad, I had my family there with me," Kamui continued and he smiled as he thought about the good times he shared with Xander and the others. This time Azura smiled in response.

"You must care for them very much," the songstress commented and Kamui laughed gently.

"That's putting it mildly. But yeah…they were the ones that made my life in that place bearable, all of them, my twin included. I…I love my family more than anything, which is why it hurts so much that they're my enemies now," Kamui felt his heart pain at the thought of his family in Nohr but he wasn't going to lie about it.

"What was your family like? I can somewhat recall a boy with blonde hair and a girl my age with purple hair but not much else…it must have been a handful, I remember there being quite a few children actually…" Azura looked thoughtful for a few moments and Kamui shuddered as he thought about that. The blue haired princess sensed his distress but before she could speak, Kamui spoke up.

"There used to be…gods how many was it? Fifty? Yes fifty, there used to be fifty of us. Fifty children that called the King their "father"…" Kamui sighed as he recalled the few times he was actually brought out of the Fortress.

"Used to be?" Azura asked, fearfully.

"I might have mentioned it before but the King has a multitude of women that he is or was "close" with, not just the one who was his queen. The boy you remember was probably Xander, he is the only one who was conceived by the Queen…" Kamui explained, recalling the grim details of his time in Krakenburg.

"Then the others…are all from different mothers?" Azura asked, a little shocked. Kamui chuckled darkly as he nodded, just to cover his displeasure.

"Don't you know that? I mean you did come from Nohr…it's the first thing they teach you. You're a bastard until you prove yourself useful…or you survive…" Kamui recited, feeling angry as he recalled the words spoken to him by one of the king's "women". Gods he had never felt so scared in his life until that time, only his "studies" under the king beat that.

"N-No…I was kept away in a remote location so I barely had any interaction with any of the other children…I wasn't…I was adopted…my mother didn't survive very long either…" Azura explained and Kamui nodded in understanding. She was lucky then…in a sense, she wasn't stuck in the middle of the sick game, Kamui was put in. Plus she didn't have to be related to that dastard, Kamui thanked the gods every day after it was confirmed he was not related by blood to that monster.

"I'm sorry about that…" Azura gave him a look and shoved him gently.

"I thought you told me not to apologize for things that had nothing to do with me…" they both broke into a laugh at that. The moment didn't last long though since Kamui continued with his story.

"I was ten years old when I was taken out of the Fortress for the first time…my powers over weapons and phasing revealed themselves during that time. The king apparently saw fit to test me so he brought me to the capital to "teach" me. I was excited at first, I wanted to get out of the fortress for the longest time…I was such a fool though, I merely traded a prison for a hell…I didn't realize that my cage kept the monsters out until it was too late…" Kamui explained as he tightened his hands into fists.

"Your burns?" Azura asked as she touched his left hand gently. He shook his head though and continued on.

"I said there used to be fifty children of King Garon…there's only six of us now. Where do you think the other forty four went?" Kamui asked in a hollow voice. Azura looked afraid for a few moments and Kamui sighed as he looked back out towards the pond.

"My twin, Corrin was left at the Fortress and my little brother Leo was kept isolated similar to yourself. My other little sister, Elise was kept at the fortress with my twin. The rest of us…we were ordered to kill each other by the one we called father and people we called our mothers…" the words left a bitter taste in his mouth and he didn't have to turn to Azura to see her cover her mouth in shock.

"We were all brothers and sisters…yet we were all set on each other like animals. We were just children! The castle was like an arena and we were the gladiators, killing each other for the enjoyment of all those monsters. The women in King Garon's harem all wanted to raise their positions in the court and gain more favor…most of them were lowborn women that the king took a fancy to. You could imagine how desperate some of them were to pull themselves from the rest of the rabble. What better way to gain favor than to advance their children in the line of succession?" Kamui continued. He had never talked about the "game" he survived with anyone other than Camilla. Even then, they rarely touched on it if at all. Even Xander never spoke of it even when Kamui would try to talk to him about it.

"Oh gods…did you…" Azura didn't finish her question but Kamui knew what it was.

"Yes…I…that monster actually orchestrated the whole "game". All forty seven of us were rounded up in the throne room when he made the announcement. He said that it was a way to rid his bloodline of the weak and the impure. The game had rules of course…if we were caught in the act we would be punished but not killed. We had to be discreet or at least fight where there were no guards.

Of course there were hardly any guards around at all, most of them were sent out on purpose or they were guarding Xander. He was the son of the queen and the only "real" child of the King. Gods I still remember how much the rest of the children hated him…they were all only eleven to fourteen but they all hated him. Their mothers had all bred them to hate every one of their siblings, they taught them that they were obstacles…" Kamui shuddered as he remembered the way all of them glared at Xander. He was standing next to the king when he gave the announcement. Kamui had never seen Xander so depressed. It must have torn him apart since they were all supposed to be his family but they hated him and wanted to rip him apart. It was no wonder why he was so pleased that the rest of them loved him. It was disheartening that Kamui and the others were held up just for being a normal family.

"I…I was the youngest one present and the smallest…I didn't even have a mother either, I had no one…I stuck out like a sore thumb of course but no one really paid any attention to me, at first. It didn't take them long to know who I was of course. Heh…I was trained by veterans to fight when I could lift a sword and I got the best scholars to teach me how to read and write. My lessons continued at Krakenburg; I guess being trained as a warrior was not bestowed on the rest of the children because they all got jealous very fast. Then they started coming after me…

I was walking back to my room after a training session and…I was cornered by three of the other children. They called me the "red-eyed demon" and the "snow haired brat" after that day. They tried to kill me…they probably thought it would have been easy since I was so small compared to them. I was strong though…stronger than normal. I suppose the reason why is obvious now. I had a dagger on me...my trainer gave it to me. I didn't realize until later that he took pity on me and he wanted me to live. I…just reacted when they tried to hurt me. I killed them…I killed all three of them…until I was covered in their blood…" Kamui could remember it like it was yesterday. He just…stabbed and stabbed and stabbed even after they stopped moving like he was possessed. It was…so easy, like crushing ants. It wasn't until Camilla found him that he stopped.

"Camilla and Xander didn't know I was there until after what I did. My sister was the one who found me like that…I…I didn't I…I didn't want that to happen…I just…I just…" Kamui didn't realize tears were falling from his eyes until he felt Azura slam into his side and wrap her arms around him.

"Stop!" Azura was crying again as she held him. She squeezed him tightly and Kamui relented and wrapped his arms around her.

"No more…I can't hear anymore…it's hurting you…" Azura sobbed gently as she hugged him. Kamui reached up and wiped the tears from his cheeks as he brought himself back from his thoughts.

"How?! How can you still smile after all that? You didn't deserve that…you don't deserve any of this…" Azura sobbed and Kamui sighed as he hugged the girl who was growing close to his heart.

"I don't know, I really don't…" Kamui really didn't know why he could still smile or feel happiness. He just…did. Azura pulled back to look up at him sadly, Kamui really didn't like seeing her sad, especially since she was feeling that way because of him.

"Kamui…I…I…" Azura didn't seem to know what to say and Kamui just held her tightly. His heart felt…calm even though he probably should have been hurting. When he was around her he felt…at peace almost. He blushed slightly at that realization but he didn't say anything, he still didn't know what to do.

"Kamui…could you…walk me back to my room?" Azura asked softly after a few moments and Kmaui looked down at her and he smiled.

"Sure…" Kamui said and Azura smiled before she broke the hug and held one of his hands gently as she led him out of the garden. As they walked to the sliding doors, Kamui thought he saw someone familiar behind one of the trees but when he looked, he didn't see anyone. He blinked for a few moments and he shrugged as he followed after Azura.

They were silent as they walked both because people were sleeping and they didn't have much else to say currently. Kamui was still trying to understand what his feelings for her were and an image of a certain wyvern rider and blonde made it difficult. Azura was usually not one to start conversations with him anyway so she stayed silent. The journey to her room was short, a little shorter than Kamui would have liked. Azura didn't release his hand as she stepped towards the door and she took his hand into both of hers. She faced him with her head tilted down and her cheeks tinted red.

"Kamui would you mind if y-"

"AHHH!" Kamui and Azura both flinched as a scream interrupted them. Kamui recognized that voice all too well.

"That was Sakura!" Azura exclaimed.

"Come on!" Kamui turned and ran for Sakura's room, barely noticing that Azura didn't release his hand but he ignored it. The guards stationed there looked just as disturbed.

"Milord! Milady, we don-"

"I got it, stay outside!" Kamui cut the guard off as he finally let go of Azura's hand as he threw the door open. He ran into the room, barely registering Azura close the door behind them. Subaki and Hana were at Sakura's bed, trying to console her but she didn't look happy at all. Felicia was nearby as well but she stood back a little ways. When Sakura saw him, her reddened eyes widened and she reached out to him.

"Onii-Chan!" Kamui went over to the bed immediately. Hana moved aside as Kamui took her place and pulled Sakura into his arms.

"Shh…sh…it's ok Imouto-Chan…I'm here…" Kamui soothed as his sister clutched onto him.

"It was a nightmare wasn't it?" Kamui asked as he turned to the others in the room. Hana and Subaki nodded sadly.

"Yes…she started squirming in her bed and then she started talking in her sleep. Then before too long she started screaming and then she woke up…" Hana explained sadly and Kamui sighed. He turned to his sister again and pulled her back a little bit. She looked even more miserable than before, it broke Kamui's heart.

"What happened? What was your nightmare about?" Kamui asked softly but that just seemed to upset her more since she started up again. He didn't need to ask to know it was a nightmare.

"I-I, I dreamed about you leaving me here and never coming back like the others! T-Then Corrin came back with those people a-and...I-I couldn't do anything! I-I-Onii-Chan!" Sakura wrapped her arms around him again and buried herself into his chest. Kamui felt his eyes get glassy but he sighed just held her as comfortingly as he could.

"Shh…it's ok I'm here…I'm not going to just disappear like that. Besides, you're coming with me. We already discussed that…" he wanted to leave Sakura at the capital but he knew she wouldn't have it. Sure he could enforce it but at the same time he didn't feel like that was a good idea. As far as they knew, the others could be gone, which would mean that Kamui and Azura were the only family Sakura had left. His sister needed him but he had to go, the only thing he could do was bring her with him. He just hoped that it would prove to be a wise decision.

"R-Really?" Sakura sniffed as she continued to hold him. The prince just smiled and kissed the top of her head.

"Of course, I'm not going to let you out of my sight," Kamui promised and his sister's sniffles broke finally into a small giggle. When she stopped shaking, he released her and pushed her back to her bed.

"Now you need to rest…I'll stick around until you do and I'll still be here when you wake up, ok?" Kamui urged but his sister looked like she wasn't going to fall asleep.

"You know he's right, you need to rest Sakura," Azura said gently as she took a seat on the other side of the bed.

"Ok…" Sakura sounded disappointed and Kamui chuckled. After years of having a sister like Elise, he could recognize when someone didn't want to sleep without something to help them. As much as it pained him to remember, he had an idea of what she needed.

"How about I tell you a story to pass the time, until you fall asleep?" Kamui asked and he saw his sister's eyes light up a bit but she tried to keep it under wraps.

"As long as it isn't another ghost story…" Sakura gave Azura a pointed glare and the songstress huffed slightly while Kamui rolled his eyes in amusement.

"How about I tell you a story about the Grandmaster and the Pegasus Knight?" Kamui asked. Sakura seemed interested and so did Azura for that manner.

"I've never heard that one," Sakura said.

"Neither have I," Azura continued and Kamui shrugged. So it appeared that the story was not present in Hoshido either, strange he thought it would have. Where did that story come from?

"So do you want to hear it then?" Kamui didn't have the book but he read it so many times that he basically had it memorized.

"Yes…" Sakura said meekly and the other occupants in the room laughed. Kamui smiled as he got himself comfortable and then he cleared his throat.

"The story begins on an open field where a blue haired prince and a yellow haired princess along with their retainer, a great knight. They were patrolling the kingdom one day and they came across a young man with black hair sleeping in the middle of the road…"

* * *

 **Can you guys guess what my main pairing in Awakening was? Anyway so I have some other projects I want to at least attempt. So keep an eye on my profile, if I go through with it.**

 **Anyway next time we we're going to see what Corrin is up to.**


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